Hope
by djinni14
Summary: This story is set for when they encounter each other during College. Are they still destined to be together. Only problem is, is that Rick has a secret. A very important one. One that he will soon find out could mean life and death. But not just for him. - now Complete
1. Chapter 1

**Hope 1**

He was taking it all in fun; the thought of taking anything seriously never even entered his mind. He was having way too much fun ever since he'd found out that he could do this. He'd never even thought anyone could do what he'd been doing and to be honest he was convinced he was the only one who could.

Right now he had come up with a plan. He just needed a few items along with a great deal more money, just in case. That and some furniture.

He had found the apartment for him. It was perfect! However, it had cost him almost every penny he had. Still he loved it. Especially the pool! He was standing at one end of what looked a lot like a lap pool. It was long but a little narrow. To his left was an outside wall that was all stone and had been left exposed. The far end of the pool was wall to ceiling windows that looked out onto the city. He could even see the river beyond, just not from where he was standing.

To his right, across from the pool was a lounge area, complete with a wet bar. Except his bar didn't have any alcohol… YET! That was an easy fix. "Glasses, I need glasses, too. And furniture, and more clothes, and…" God, he needed a lot of things.

"Food, kitchen stuff." Even if he didn't cook. This was New York, why did he need to know how to cook? He turned to face his kitchen. It was open to the pool… mostly. It was a little small – okay, it was tiny – but since he didn't cook it would suffice.

The area he was standing in was probably the dining room. He thought maybe he would actually get a table. A little one. One that was perfect just for two people. "Perhaps one of those little bistro tables you see in Paris," Rick said to himself. _"Yeah, a_ _n_ _authentic table, straight from Paris."_ He loved the idea.

At the end of the wall from his bar were the two bedrooms and single bathroom that was a Jack and Jill bathroom. He walked into one bedroom, through the bathroom, and into the other bedroom. Each bedroom was basically equal in size so he just need to choose one. "More furniture!" Rick moaned. "And sheets, pillows, comforters." He was dying here. "And towels!" Yeah, definitely dying.

Still first things first. He needed a secret room and he thought he knew just the place. He went back out into the main room and looked at the empty space next to his bar. He could picture what he wanted in his mind; he just needed to build a pair of walls to create the space. It would be a little small, but if he put shelves inside it he could fill them.

It was time to get started. He glanced at his watch. "They're closed and I need material for the walls first." In a second he was gone. In his wake he left what looked like a black hole closing up on itself and then there was nothing.

Rick smiled and found that the only lights that were on were the nightlights. He'd already been here and knew what he wanted. He walked into the tool area and picked up the DeWalt multi-tool carrying case and opened it just to be sure. Pleased with himself he Jumped back to his home. He put the case down, plugged in the charger, and put a battery into the charger.

Jumping back he lifted the necessary number of metal studs and Jumped back home. A few Jumps later and he had everything: drywall, tape, a bucket of mud, a trowel, paint, paint brushes, paint rollers, drop cloths, sandpaper, screws to use for the metal studs, screws for the drywall. He even had this pinkish purple stuff to put over the screws to hide them.

Rick went over to the battery charger, pulled out the battery, and put it into the circular saw. Then he pulled the trigger. He got a little something before it died. Annoyed, he slammed the battery back into the charger. "Right then, it's bedroom furniture next." He knew just where to go and what he wanted.

One Jump later and he was standing next to the bedroom set that he wanted. It was perfect for his room. _"This bed features a gracefully curved headboard and footboard that will fill your bedroom with soft elegance. The rounded scoop design of the bedrails, decorative carvings and beautiful veneers. The bedside chest from Aico's Cortina Collection features a gracefully curving intricately carved design combined with a number of equally impressive pieces to create a true home out of your bedroom. Added extras include hidden beverage tray and an inlaid marble top. Durable construction protects the contents while the slide system suspension allows for smooth operation and full access."_

There was more but Rick threw away the brochure. Taking the nightstand in both hands, he Jumped. It only took a few minutes and he had the bed, a mattress and box springs, both nightstands, a dresser, and an armoire in the room. Then he went back for the area rug.

"Now for the spare bedroom." He didn't really know if he needed one, just that his place had two bedrooms so he figured he should fill it up. It was all white and a little girly looking. A bed, two nightstands, a dresser, and an armoire. "Vanity Collection Italian Classic 6 Piece Queen Bedroom Set in White." He threw the tag over his shoulder and started Jumping the furniture to his home.

"Bedroom furniture done, now for the dining room." He didn't like what was in that store, but he did like what was in another store, plus all he needed was a sofa for a living room.

" _Padmas Plantation Paris Patio Bistro Counter Stool. La Couple Bar Height Bistro Table Top, Square, 40 inch."_ He loved the set since it came directly from Paris. "GOD, I love New York." You could get anything here.

"Sofa." Rick Jumped to where he'd seen the one he wanted. _"This contemporary look will add style and comfort to any living room space. Features 2 adjustable footrests at the ends of the sectional for the ultimate relaxed feel. Also features a pull down back rest that has 1 cup holder and tray."_

"It's a little large for the space, but I like it!" He started smiling. Then he snapped his fingers. "Kitchen stuff!" And he was gone again.

It was a small shop and like all the other places, this one didn't have any video cameras. Yes, it had a security system, but it was on the doors and windows. He didn't get in by going through any of those.

He pushed a shopping cart along the aisles. In went a box for silverware, plates, pots and pans. A quick Jump back to unload his cart then back to collect more. Crock pot, toaster, microwave, can opener. He kept it up until his kitchen was full of boxes.

It took time but his kitchen looked great, at least to him. The rest of his apartment was now a mess, though, with empty boxes, plastic bags, and formed Styrofoam all over the place. He looking at the mess and groaned. A number of Jumps later and all of it was in a dumpster somewhere in London.

"Better." Rick stood in his now full apartment with its glistening pool. Then his head dropped to his chest. "I forgot the sheets, comforter and pillows." This was turning out to be work and he hated physical labor.

Three Jumps later and he now had a mess in both bedrooms. A couple more Jumps and the mess was in the same dumpster in London.

He shook his head. "Wow, that was tiring!" He didn't want to think what it would have taken to do all that the normal way. _"The hard way!"_ Then he stood there, his body drooping in weariness. "DAMN IT. CLOTHES, SHOES!" He knew just where to go. "Shampoo, soap, dryer thingies." He moved over to sit on his new bed where all he wanted to do was fall into it and go to sleep.

"FINE!" Rick Jumped and started looking for clothes that were his size. "Pants, shirts, socks, underwear." He started grabbing. "What am I doing? No tighty-whities." He tossed the bag over his shoulder and moved over to the boxers.

He was soon back. "T-shirts, belt, ties… shoes!"

Now he had yet another mess from all the plastic, ties, and tags. One Jump took care of all that and his dumpster in London was starting to get full.

"Soap, shampoo, conditioner, antiperspirant." Another Jump and he was walking around with a bag that he was filling with all kinds of stuff.

Now he had yet another mess from all the empty boxes, plastic seals, tags, and other junk. One more Jump took care of all that.

Rick let his head rest up against the wall. "Food!" This was way more work than he was willing to do. "PHONE!" New York had delivery of just about everything. He began checking his pockets to see if he still had any money. "Thirty two dollars and twelve cents." It was enough to get some Chinese so he picked up the phone and called a place he knew of.

He was soon smiling as he sat at his bistro table out in front of his kitchen with his pool just off to the side. Life was good. Full of hard work, but good.

He started to put another chopstick full of food in his mouth. "Swim trunks!" He briefly let his head fall to his chest. He had an answer for that. "Skinny dipping!" He lifted his head and went back to eating.

"I know you told me not to go swimming after eating, Mother… but!" He began stripping and tossed his clothes and shoes then jumped naked into his pool.

Yeah, his new life was good. Really good!

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Rick stood back and looked at his handiwork. He wasn't a carpenter or even a handyman, but he had to admit that it looked pretty good. He'd even painted the wall a contrasting color that he thought looked amazing for the space. He just had to put up a hook to hang his picture on and he would be done.

The art work he'd chosen had color all over it. Who could possibly not like it? It had something for everyone. Still he had one more thing to do. So he grabbed a bag and put the leftover paint in it along with the paint brush, roller, the remaining tape, leftover mud, then picked up the leftover drywall and Jumped. His dumpster had been emptied so there was lots of space to dump this junk. Then he went back. Now he just needed shelving and he knew exactly where to get that.

It took a little time to put it all together then Jump them into the space and put them into place. Since he was using one of those battery powered lights he didn't need to worry about connecting electricity which was a good thing since he knew nothing about wiring. He was sure he would electrocute himself so battery powered solved his problem.

Rick looked at his watch and noticed it was late in London so the place should be closed. He Jumped out, picked up a large bag, and Jumped.

ICBC Standard Bank

He smiled and looked around. He was in a side street and saw no one. He'd actually been inside this bank earlier so he knew where the bank vault was located. One Jump later and he was standing outside the vault wearing one of those ski masks that only had openings for his eyes and his mouth. Now came the risk. He had practiced this a few times but still it was a risk.

He'd learned that he needed to have seen where he wanted to Jump to. Even just a photograph of what it looked like would work. It was just that he had never been on the other side of this vault door.

He Jumped then he was dancing and spinning in place while sporting a broad smile. It was just as he'd suspected. They placed all of the cash in the vault after closing. He opened his bag and started picking up the piles of money and dumping them into his bag.

Another Jump and he was stacking the money on his shelf inside his secret room in his apartment. He had even been generous and had left them a little something.

GLS Bank

Rick liked this bank even better. The street was lined with cars and gave him an easy place to hide. Just like the other bank he had been here before, too. One more Jump and he was standing just in front of the vault.

Since he was feeling bolder now that he had done it once, he didn't wait and Jumped into the vault. Yes, it was dark in there but he had a torch to take care of that. "WHAT THE HELL!" Where was all the damn money!? All he saw was these little carts that looked to be locked. "DAMN IT ALL!" This was not what he had expected.

"FINE, have it your way." Rick had an idea on how to handle this. He wrapped his arms around one of the carts and Jumped.

It was late in the day, it was tall and all he had to do was drop it over the side. It was a little heavier than he thought but he got it over the parapet and watched it fall into an alley.

He Jumped and found it easily. While the damn thing was bent, it refused to open. One Jump later and over the side it went, and went, and went, and went.

"ABOUT DAMN TIME!" Still he only took what was on top and left the rest. He wasn't greedy.

He began placing his money on his shelves. He had British pounds and now he had Deutsche marks. In a few hours he would add dollars from a bank in LA followed by French francs along with Canadian dollars. He still had to come up with a plan on how to get Japanese yen as well as some Hong Kong dollars, Argentine pesos and Brazilian reals. He wanted to be ready for anything.

Rick snapped his fingers since he had thought of it but hadn't done anything about it. He Jumped out, picked up the first backpack of good size that he could find, and Jumped back. "DAMN IT, RICK!" He was getting stupid. Jump out and Jump back and he had a second one.

One backpack was filled with Canadian dollars and French francs while the second was partially filled with British pounds and he left room for dollars that would come later.

Now he just needed either gold bars or gold coins and silver bars. Getting those would require a little more research and time. For the moment he was happy.

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He decided to take his happiness out to a bar that he'd heard was popular. He paid the cover charge happily and paid no attention to just how much he had handed the bouncer. It didn't really matter any longer anyway.

Rick looked around. The place was filled with men though there were a number of women as well. As he watched only women were getting in through the door now. The music was loud and people were everywhere doing any number of things. Drinking, talking, dancing or any combination thereof.

He headed for the bar. It took a couple of minutes. "Ritz sidecar… With cognac. Not that cheap stuff." In a short time a martini glass showed up with an orange-colored drink in it. He passed over two 500 dollar bills and sipped his drink. Satisfied he started walking around the place and looking everyone over. He was liking some of what he saw.

Unfortunately all of the beauties were with other men. None of them seemed to be alone. It was just his luck. If he could just find one or group that was alone… It wasn't that he was looking to get lucky though the thought had crossed his mind. He just wanted to have some fun.

Then he saw someone just as he was about to give up and go find another bar. She was pretty with shoulder length brown hair. Maybe she was a little older than he would like, but she was alone. She looked like she wanted to be alone, too. She had a drink but she wasn't drinking it.

Rick walked right to her and she started smiling. "Mind if I join you? Perhaps your drink's not to your liking. I can offer you something much better."

"What did you have in mind?" She was picky about what she drank. None of the men in this place seemed to know much. He motioned to one of the women that were walking around serving drinks. "Ritz sidecar… with 1830 Cognac." He got a, "Yes sir," from her before she hurried away.

"I think you'll like it." He smiled at her and sat down next to her.

"I'm sure I will." She was still smiling. She had her reason for why she was smiling and Rick had his reason.

"I'm Rick." He offered his hand. She took it, allowed him to lift it to his mouth and place a soft kiss on it.

"I'm Jo," she answered, a coy smile flitting across her face.

"Jo, interesting name. Is it short for something?" Rick was curious about a lot of things now.

She only smiled back at him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hope 2**

" _She_ _'_ _s too old for me, she_ _'_ _s too old for me."_ Those words kept running through his mind over and over again. Yet here he was at his door with his keys out and she was right next to him smiling away. "I think you're going to be surprised." Rick loved his apartment. Granted it was his first one after finding out just what he could do and away from his mother. He hadn't even yet told his mother where he was living. Not that it mattered that much. His mother was off with a troop doing some show on the road. He hadn't even been listening when she told him where she was the last time she had called. He just knew she wasn't here.

"Oh, I'm sure I will." Actually she was sure they both were in for a surprise.

Rick unlocked the door and offered for her to go first. She had to admit that he had been a gentlemen the entire time. She gave him points for that, not that it mattered in the least.

She got past the tiny kitchen that was up front and then stopped dead in her tracks. His dining room and table were tiny. Yes, he had a sofa that she loathed the look of. Simply put, it was _BUTT UGLY!_

However, where he should have a living room, he had a pool and it was a good-sized pool at that. A little short of an Olympic lap pool, but it was nice. She even liked the wall of windows on the far side.

Rick closed and locked the door then stepped up to her and took a peek. He liked the look on her face. "Like it?" he teased since it was obvious she did.

"You were right… I'm surprised." So far the entire apartment was a surprise. His taste in furniture, what little there was, was atrocious. He needed lessons in interior design very badly. Perhaps the pool made up for that though. Then she noticed his feature wall that held the only painting in the place on it. A multi-colored picture of the world. It was…interesting. Again not to her taste, yet it still told her a few things about this kid. Then there was the wet bar next to it. Jo stood right where she was and tried to look over the alcohol bottles.

He seemed to have one of everything. Everything that was on TV that is. It told her he knew next to nothing about what good alcohol really was. The Ritz Sidecar had told her something as well. She knew the drink with really good cognac was around $1,000 a glass. Seeing of the bottles told her he had simply chosen a very expensive drink and knew nothing about what good tasting drinks were. Although it did answer a question. He was her guy and while she was presently surprised, the final surprise was going to be his.

"You can use the pool if you wish." And by that he meant skinny dipping. He smiled invitingly.

"That does sound very enticing. But we left a little fast. Is there a bathroom first?" Jo asked.

"Certainly, just down the hall, second door on your right." Rick waved his arm at the hallway off to the right that also lead to the bedrooms.

"Be right back." Jo stroked a pair of fingers across his cheek, smiled brightly, and walked toward the bathroom. "I would love a dip in that pool," she cooed over her shoulder and kept walking.

She found the bathroom and closed and locked all three doors. Then she quickly pulled out her cell phone. It picked up on the second ring. "You're not going to believe me but I found him. Or more like he found me. He matches the vids we have of him. I want you and a team here – fifteen minutes. The door's locked but you can handle that."

"We're en route," he answered and made a U-turn in the middle of the street then ran the next three red lights, causing people to lay on their horns in protest. "Ten minutes," he advised and ended the call.

She couldn't stay in the bathroom for 10 minutes. He was expecting something so she decided to give him a little show before she gave him something else. Jo took off her heels, slid her skirt down, folded it, and placed it on the counter. Then she unbuttoned her shirt, folded it nicely, and laid it on her skirt. Next she unsnapped her stockings from her garters, slid each one down her leg, and placed them on her shirt. Off came her garter belt. She was left in her bra and panties, standing there barefooted in his bathroom.

She wasn't in her 20s any longer and while she didn't need him to have sex with, she was still sexually active. She even had a pretty good lover. He liked what she looked like and had convinced her that she was still pretty and sexy.

Jo twisted in front of the mirror and looked herself over. Satisfied and ready to do this, she reached into her purse and pulled out what she wanted and opened the door to the hallway.

She hid both hands behind her and walked barefoot down the hall till she reached the end. She didn't see him and she didn't hear him in the pool. She was ready!

Jo stepped around the corner and found him standing at the corner of the pool looking out over the pool and out through the windows. He had his back to her. Even from here he looked good! She wished didn't know what she did and that she was 20 years younger. He could be fun!

"Very nice!" she murmured and began walking toward him.

Rick spun in place and saw her wearing only her panties and bra. He had thought about being naked when she returned and was a little upset that she wasn't naked. But with a little effort he could fix that. He looked her over from her bare feet to her breasts and never made it any higher.

Jo saw him look her over as she slowly walked. His face gave him away; it was like reading a book, and what she saw pleased her. She was glad she was still in shape. She walked right up to him and stopped.

"You think you can finish what I started?" she purred, using her best bedroom voice.

"I would love to." Rick smiled, pleased that her wearing her bra and panties had only been a tease. He reached around and behind her to find the clasp.

"Hmm," Jo hummed as she brought her right arm around and up behind his back. She pushed the device against his shoulder and pressed the button. Rick's eyes went wide and his body couldn't help but start jerking in a spasm. The sound of clicking was the only noise and he started to fall. Jo quickly caught him and made sure he didn't fall into the pool. He might actually drown and she didn't want that.

She was just laying him down on the concrete floor when the front door burst open and her team came charging in. "Your timing is excellent. You know what to do." Then Jo retreated to the bathroom to put her clothes back on.

It had actually given her a bit of a rush and since she was practically naked she knew she was going to tease her husband tonight till he bent her over and fucked her nice and hard. She could even see her hard nipples behind her bra as she buttoned her shirt into place. She was looking forward to tonight.

Jo walked back into the main room and found one of his team searching the kitchen, leaving a mess. Another was searching his sofa by using a knife and ripping it to pieces. Its destruction actually improved its look.

Her right-hand man was standing over Rick holding a whip that she easily recognized. She was also pleased to see the length of the cable that was attached to his ankle and the other end attached to a bolt that had been shot into the concrete.

"We need to take this place apart before we leave," Jo instructed.

"We will." He stepped over to a metal suitcase, opened it, and began the process of assembling the device, just in case.

Jo shook her head. He was such a good-looking kid. She knelt down, dipped a hand into the pool, and shook the water onto the cable that secured him to the floor. It sparked and crackled from the electricity that was in it.

Rick's body jerked; he was awake in an instant. "OWW! The pain was practically incapacitating. He could barely think.

"Good, you're awake." Jo got up, stood just next to his head, and looked down at him.

The pain receded and Rick looked up and saw she was dressed again. Except now the look on her face was anything but kind.

"This is my partner. You can call him Mr. Aaron… while you still can. I suggest you answer his questions truthfully and it will be all over quickly with as little pain as possible," Jo told him before looking up at Aaron. "Find out what he knows. If he actually does answer your questions quickly and truthfully, make it quick. …I kind of like him a little." She turned and headed for the door. "Don't bother cleaning up behind you," she called over her shoulder and exited the apartment. She was done with him and never wanted to see him again.

Aaron looked down at Rick who was only clothed in his boxers and secured to the floor. "Shall we begin." He wasn't asking since he didn't need his permission.

"Who are you people?" Rick tried to crawl a little. Except all that did was get the cable attached to his ankle to crackle. He screamed in pain.

"Us? We're GOD'S hand and we are here for you," Aaron intoned. None of that made any sense to Rick. What the hell did GOD have to do with anything?

Aaron was after information. "Now, first question. What other Jumpers do you know?" Finding Rick had been hard work. Getting him to rat out others like him was easier and quicker.

"What?" Rick didn't understand the question. All his own query earned him was Aaron kicking the bolt in the floor that caused the cable to writhe and spark and send shards of pain up Rick's leg. He was screaming himself hoarse.

"Answer my questions and this can be over quickly. Keep this up and it will take forever." Aaron was secretly hoping for the latter. This DEMON needed to suffer first before he killed him.

The pain subsided and Rick relaxed. "Now, what others do you know that are just like you?" he tried again. Aaron only touched the bolt and Rick screamed.

"NONE. No one, there's just me!" Rick didn't want any more pain.

Aaron, however, scowled and kicked the bolt in the floor with a great deal of force. Rick screamed and actually started rolling around from the pain which only increased the agony. Rick couldn't stop it and couldn't stop screaming.

Aaron watched the guy in the kitchen move down the hall and head for one of the bedrooms followed by the other guy. Just as Rick started to calm down from the pain he could hear furniture breaking and started smiling. He tried again. "One more time. How many others like you do you know?"

"NONE!" Rick yelled at him. "There's only me." Rick was telling him the truth, praying for no more pain. He could barely think as it was.

Aaron scowled once again but didn't kick the bolt. "Unfortunately I believe you." He was pissed. He really wished Rick had been lying so he could hear him scream again.

Instead he decided to scare him til he peed in his pants. Aaron reached behind him and pulled out a Bowie knife. Then he knelt down near Rick's head and grabbed a handful of his hair and jerked his head up. This caused his leg to move just a little and Rick grunted from the pain.

"See this?" Aaron held it in front of his face. "This is a HOLY item. See these notches in the hilt?" He made sure Rick could see them. "This is how many of your kind that have been sent back to hell. Back to the person that gave you your powers. Only GOD has the authority to bless anyone with powers like yours." Aaron slammed his head down onto the concrete and let go of his hair.

Rick cried out and did his best not to move. Now that his head was just starting to clear he was starting to formulate a plan on how to get out of here.

"You were almost easy to find. We monitored those bank heists and watched you case each and every one of them. You didn't even bother to hide. You were so sure of yourself. All DEMONS are.

"You know how many hours of video we had to watch so we could identify you?" Aaron asked him as he wandered around a little, secure in the knowledge that his prisoner couldn't and didn't dare move.

"No," Rick answered softly. He needed a little more time to get his head clear and prepare himself for what was to come.

"NO?!" Aaron was pissed and moved toward the bolt. But instead of kicking it and hearing him scream he knelt down and ran his big knife up the side of Rick's leg.

"I was thinking of letting you die quickly. Now? Now I've decided that you should die slowly. Make sure that it takes time for you to return to your master… IN HELL!" Aaron began slicing a long but not deep line up his leg.

Rick gritted his teeth, but he refused to scream. He needed his head clear.

Aaron wasn't surprised that his blood was red like everyone else. It allowed him and the others to hide amongst them better.

Aaron stood up when he noticed that the noise of furniture breaking had stopped. He walked over to the hallway. "Did you find anything?" They knew what they should be looking for.

"Nothing yet, sir," they called back.

 _NOTHING_ _?_ That was impossible. Based on the others he had personally killed there should be something. Actually a lot of somethings. "WHERE? Where have you hidden it?" Aaron screamed, spittle flying from his mouth. It was time to make him suffer! Aaron started walking toward the bolt with the intent of kicking with all the force he could muster.

Rick knew it was now or maybe never. He Jumped then screamed for all he was worth.

Aaron was shocked into inaction. This had never happened before. None of them had ever been able to keep their mind clear enough to think about where to jump to. It should have been impossible!

Rick was still in severe pain and moved to pick up what he needed; he screamed again.

Aaron could hear him screaming. Then he noticed the cable. It was pulled tight and went straight into a wall! "GET IN HERE!" Aaron hollered and rushed over to the wall.

Rick had just enough presence of mind to not saw his leg off when he turned on the circular saw and heard the whine of the blade cutting through the cable. Sparks were flying everywhere. He screaming his lungs out from the agony of it.

"Break this wall down!" Aaron screamed at his men. It was a complete shock. The DEMON had actually Jumped. Worse he could hear him screaming. But beneath it all was the sound of the cable being cut.

His men looked around for something to use. They settled on the two chairs in the dining room and started pounding on the wall. "Come on… come on." They needed to speed it up.

Rick barely noticed that the pain had stopped. When it did he dropped the saw and shook his head. The pain was still there but he was feeling better. He looked around and saw his two backpacks then looked at his leg. There was still something attached to it but the cable attached to it was just lying there. "Free!"

Rick stumbled to his feet just as a chair leg entered his small space. "No time." He had to just act. He grabbed a backpack, slung it over one shoulder, and used that hand to grab the other backpack. Then a second chair leg entered his small space. Time was up. He chose a picture at random and looked at it without really seeing what was on it. Then he Jumped.

A few more hits and the wall was open enough to start pulling drywall away using their hands. What they exposed was a small room filled with shelves. Aaron moved to look inside and didn't see him. "DAMN HIM!" He had escaped. "OPEN IT!" he yelled.

Minutes later Aaron was standing inside the room. There was money stacked on shelves and there were pictures hanging everywhere. As best as he could tell they were hanging randomly: France, England, Australia, Africa, the Galapagos Islands. Countless other places.

Aaron collapsed against one the shelves. He had failed. That was unacceptable and he would have to face his punishment.

He stepped back out. "Collect everything… _ALL OF IT!"_ he bellowed at his helpers. They needed to find a clue as to where he had gone. He watched them start to gather everything and pulled out his cell phone.

The call was answered on the first ring. "He escaped, ma'am. …He escaped. We found his space and are collecting what he left behind. What are your orders?" He feared what she would say but knew it was for GOD.

He was still on the phone listening to Jo as he placed the knife he was holding to his belly. "Yes, ma'am." Aaron dropped the phone then wrapped both hands around his knife's hilt and pushed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope 3**

Rick started sucking in air and looked around. He then quickly ducked around a corner. Looking at his picture, he found himself right where it showed. He didn't know if anyone had seen him, however, since the few people he saw did nothing, he was guessing not.

He bent over and looked at the band that was still around his ankle and the tiny amount of cable that was attached to it. Then a sound had him almost jumping out of his skin. He turned to look and found the same circular saw that he had used to cut the cable lying on the ground. "What the fuck?" How did that thing get here? He looked around for someone then up to see if a contractor had dropped it. He saw no one. Rick reached for a conclusion. One that meant he hadn't been followed. "Must have gotten caught on one of my bags."

Still it was a little good luck for a change. He dropped both backpacks, picked up the circular saw, and adjusted the blade location so that it didn't cut very deep. He sat down so that he could reach his ankle and see what he was doing. It was then that he saw the cut running up and down his leg. It wasn't deep, but it had sure hurt like hell. All that was left was the cut and the dried blood.

He got to work on cutting the band off his ankle. The noise was really loud and he peered around to see if anyone was coming his way to investigate. It took time and yet no one came to look. The noise was really loud but he was finally free of it. There was a planter near by so he tossed everything into it. Now he had to think. Think of what to do, where to go, who to trust. Provided there was anyone at all save for his mother. Now he wished he had paid more attention to where she was.

He vowed not to be so stupid from here on out. But he had a problem. No clothes save for his boxers, no shoes, no drivers license, no social security card, no credit card. "WAIT!" He hurriedly opened one of his backpacks. "Wrong pocket." He closed the big one and zipped open one of the smaller ones.

He had been told once not to carry his social security card on him in case of a pickpocket. He pulled out what he'd found. Rick sighed in relief. He had his social security card. He also had his US Passport and a certified copy of his birth certificate. Now he just needed a plan. Given where he was it sounded like a good place to try and hide for a short time or longer if he was careful.

He looked embarrassing and he knew it, but he didn't have a choice. Regardless, he walked to the front door and walked inside. He loved the feel of the cold air. He even stopped, closed his eyes, and let the cold air flow over his skin. He ignored the looks he was sure he was getting.

Opening them he saw a huge amount of green right in the center of the lobby. A sign told him where the restrooms were so he headed there.

Once there he grabbed a number of paper towels and ran some of them under the faucet. Then he got into one of the toilet stalls and locked the door. Hanging his backpack on the hook on the door he started dabbing at his cut and then patted it dry. It looked better but it was still a nasty red line down his lower leg.

Rick opened one of the bags and found British pounds inside it. Closing it he opened the other and found dollars. At least he didn't have to Jump to Germany or somewhere else. He took out about six hundred dollars in twenties and crushed them in his hand. Putting one backpack on his back, he lifted the other one then kicked the flush valve to flush the toilet and left the stall.

He couldn't check in looking like this so he went upstairs and found the gift store. He started smiling when he realized it was a really big gift store. Walking around, he found a pair of shorts that actually had pockets since his boxers didn't, so he grabbed two pairs. Then he found a Hawaiian-style shirt and selected a pair of tee shirts. He dropped them at the service desk. "Be right back," he told the lady that was standing there.

He found boxers, toothbrush, toothpaste, antiperspirant, gummy bears, cookies, and a Coke. They had almost nothing in the way of shoes, but they did have flip flops so he got a pair of those.

The lady was happy to take his money and didn't say a thing. He was now loaded down with bags and followed the signs into the restroom that was upstairs.

Inside the stall he changed into his new boxers, shorts, and tee shirt. He made sure where all of his paperwork was located, stuffed in his change in his pocket and then added a few thousand to go with it.

He kicked the flush valve to flush the toilet and looked at himself in the mirror after stepping out. He couldn't help but smile as he looked at himself. He looked ridiculous but he would probably fit in perfectly. Rick went downstairs and got in line.

"Welcome to Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. Checking in?" she smiled as she asked him.

"Yes, please, if you have a room." He feared that they might not.

"Do you have a reservation, sir?"

"No, I don't," he replied.

"I'm afraid I have no more standard rooms available without a reservation."

 _DAMN!_ He'd been afraid of that. "Do you have any rooms? It's just for two or maybe three nights. Anything will do." He really didn't want to go searching the entire complex looking for a room.

"Let me check." She turned to her screen and started typing. "I have one, a one bedroom suite at $1,717 per night as well as the Presidential Suite at $2,490 per night. However, the Presidential Suite is only available for one night only. It's reserved after that." She waited patiently for him to respond.

He had money enough for both but was thinking of staying longer than one night. "I'll take the one bedroom suite for three nights," Rick replied. She nodded and began typing.

"I'll need a credit card and a drivers license with your photo ID on it."

 _SHIT!_ Another damn problem. "I don't use credit cards. If I can't afford it using cash I don't buy it. Plus my wallet was stolen at the airport. I've been told that a new drivers license will take a few days. I have my passport and cash." He fished out his passport and pushed it across her counter.

She stopped typing. "I'm sorry sir, but I can't help you without a credit card. We need something as a guarantee in case of damage to your room."

"I don't use them." He had no need of them.

"I'm sorry sir. There's a Chase branch in Downtown Disney. You can take the Disney Bus that's located out front. They might be able to help you. Or you can use the desk over there and obtain a fixed card, sometimes called a load card. So long as you can show that the card contains a minimum amount of $5,000 I can use that."

Rick looked where she pointed. "I'll be back. Please don't give my room away," he requested then started walking.

It took close to an hour but he was back and handed everything over to the very same clerk. He'd even stopped for a three day park hopper pass.

"Your room is located on the third floor; here's your key and room number. You can use the elevators over there. I suggest you make reservations for any restaurant that you choose. You will find everything we offer in your room. The pool closes at midnight and breakfast starts as early as 4:00 am. Please enjoy your stay. I wish you luck with your drivers license. Hopefully your trip will improve," she smiled.

"Let's hope so. I could use a little better luck," Rick told her and turned to leave.

"Then you're in the right place, sir. Disney is Magical." She smiled again as he walked away; then she helped the next person in line.

Rick followed the numbers on the wall to his room, slipped his card into the slot, and opened the door. It certainly looked nice. Rattan furniture. A beige sofa, coffee table, a single chair with bright white cushions, a pair of lamps. One wall had the entertainment center with the TV. A door lead to the bedroom that had a single queen-sized bed that was also beige. Another door led to the bathroom. It had towels, shampoo and soap, tissues, and cups.

Rick dropped his bags on the bed and went searching. He found a small safe, only big enough to put papers in, certainly not large enough for his backpacks. But he had an idea about that.

He slid the glass doors open and stepped out onto the balcony or lanai as it was called. It was hot so he wasn't going to be spending anytime out here.

Back inside, he looked around for that information and made a few phone calls so he had some reservations to eat while he was here. While he was hungry, what he really wanted was a shower!

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All he had was two pairs of shorts, one that actually had Grumpy embroidered on it that he'd worn the day before. He had a single Mickey Mouse tee shirt that he'd worn yesterday, one Goofy tee shirt, the Hawaiian-style shirt, and three pairs of Mickey Mouse boxers. Plus his flip flops. Then he realized that he knew practically nothing about Walt Disney World.

He had showered, brushed his teeth, and to his consternation, was dressed like a walking Disney advertisement. Rick looked for a bright spot in all of this. "Maybe no one will recognize me."

He couldn't leave his backpacks in case the room service maid found them and snooped in them. He also knew he couldn't use the pictures he'd left behind as Jump destinations. Since they knew about him, they were likely looking for him. He just remembered what that man had told him. "Oh, hell… video surveillance." He was going to have to be more careful.

He pulled out a few thousand dollars, stuffed them into his pockets, and buttoned them closed. He probably didn't need anything else so there was no real reason to take the other papers. He did need a place to hide his backpacks though. Some place new to him and not easy to find or reach.

There were a number or magazines and brochures that were all Disney based. "Naturally." He rolled his eyes. Still he quickly thumbed through the pages and just kept turning til an idea hit him. He flipped the pages back til he found it. "Walt Disney's apartment over the Fire House in Disneyland." He thought it might be a good spot since no one actually stayed there any longer. He was three hours out in front so it was still dark in California. Rick picked up his backpacks and Jumped to what the picture in the magazine showed.

It was dark and he waited for his eyes to adjust. Everything had an old Victorian look to it. It was also a little small.

"No fake ceiling." Rick didn't see one. Everything was just a little too open and he was beginning to think this was a bad idea. "Maybe the roof?" Except when it rained, it really rained. He knew that much.

Finally he found a pair of red sofas. "No bedrooms?" He saw a tiny kitchen with cabinets, but that was too open, too exposed. All someone had to do was open one.

Then he noticed that behind one of the sofas was a shelf or counter that held a number of things. Wondering if that was an empty space, he looked closer. Pulling off the seat cushions revealed that it was a sofa bed. He got down on the floor to look under it. "Not big enough." It really didn't have enough space. Then he started pulling the sofa out into the room a little and sure enough there was a void behind it.

It was old, it was dusty and a little dirty. "So they clean everywhere else, just not here." Rick dropped both backpacks into the space, pushed the sofa back, and put the cushions back into place. It looked like a good hiding spot but if he wanted them he was going to have to pull the sofa out and then Jump. It would have to do for now.

He Jumped back and went down to the lobby. He had a three day park hopper pass to use.

A few questions later and he was standing outside waiting for the monorail to show up and take him to the Transit Center where he could take yet a different monorail to reach Epcot.

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Epcot it turned out had an enormous Walt Disney World place called Mouse Gears. It was there that he found even more shirts, shorts, swim trunks so he could use the pool at the resort, still more tee shirts, more snacks and even a Mickey Mouse comb.

He had three huge bags and his feet were killing him, so he found a restroom, went into a stall, kicked the flush valve and Jumped immediately to his lanai. There he peeked into his room to see if he had any unwanted guests and then Jumped into the living room and looked around.

His bed had been made and there was even an elephant made out of towels on his bed. "How did they do that?" He was impressed. While trying to pick it up he found out it was actually made out of two separate towels. "Cute and inventive."

Rick dropped his bags on his bed and headed for dinner here in the resort. Since he had reservations, it worked out perfectly. Apparently only needing to seat one person was easier than seating four.

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Rick tried to enjoy himself as he visited the Magic Kingdom the next day. He really did. But he couldn't stop worrying about his choice for a hiding place. He really didn't know anything about the location. He was so worried that he left the Magic Kingdom and went back to EPCOT and moved quickly to the World Showcase.

It was there that he went through all of the foreign countries and bought every post card and magazine that they had. Went into a restroom, kicked the flush valve, and Jumped to his lanai. He carefully peeked into his room.

Next he had everything spread out all over his made up bed that now had a swan made from towels sitting on it. Then he started going through each and every one of them. He had two piles. One was the ones that he couldn't use for various reasons. Either too exposed or filled with people. The discard pile was far bigger than his keep pile, but at least he had one. Now he had to wait until it was really late in the day. Or more accurately early in the morning.

He scrambled to find something to put what he was keeping inside of so he could carry them around with him. Rick snapped his fingers. "Gift shop!" They seemed to have everything.

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The Animal Kingdom was next; if he wasn't careful he was going to need a suitcase to carry all of the clothes he'd bought. It needed to stop. He couldn't live the rest of his life looking like a walking billboard for Walt Disney World.

Still during his entire stay, today's trip was turning out to be far more enjoyable. He really didn't understand why, but he was feeling better.

He chose to only do the main rides and only the ones where the lines weren't that long. Then he got on a Disney Bus and went over to the only park left for him to visit.

He'd gotten onto the Tower of Terror relatively quickly and had yelled his lungs out. So much so that after he got off he ran around to get back into line to ride it again. "BEST RIDE EVER!" He even ignored his earlier decision and bought a Tower t-shirt.

The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster was down for maintenance so he kept walking until he found a popcorn stand. He was munching on popcorn as he walked. While he was walking around he decided that the food courts in this park were terrible. Hamburgers, hot dogs, disgusting looking pizza. However, he knew where to go to fix that and could even picture it in his mind.

A quick trip to a restroom and he was soon walking through the doors to _Via Napoli Restorante. Authentic wood fired pizza from Italy._

He even stayed late enough to watch the fireworks before looking for a restroom and Jumping to his hotel room balcony.

Tonight was going to be his last night there and while it had been fun, he needed to find someplace else to go. Someplace that was hard for them to find him; someplace easy for him to get lost in and go back to living his life.

His alarm woke him up early in the morning. It was dark in California, so he Jumped to collect his backpacks. He found them right where he had left them. He made sure to push the sofa back into place before Jumping back to his hotel room.

Finding the front desk manned he asked them a question. Sure enough they had a business room that was only for guests. It was there that he could access a computer and start his search.

He didn't really know what he was looking for until he saw it. "PERFECT!" Or at least he thought it was perfect. Now he just needed to solve one not so small problem.

 _His name!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hope 4**

Rick was running out of time and being back in New York City was dangerous in more ways than one. They'd found him there last time so they could find him again. Because of that he'd been staying in some of the more unsavory locations. There were more cockroaches in the building than humans. He stomped on one, making there one less. "Not that it matters." He shook his head. "I'm sure you have a number of brothers and sisters if not kids living around here somewhere." He hated the place. He hadn't even dared to come anywhere near where he used to live.

What he wanted was out of this dump! Looking at his phone, bought from a place that had no video surveillance and with cash, it finally buzzed at him. He eagerly looked at the message. "About damn time!" Rick stood up and then Jumped to his backpacks. The guy had actually requested payment in pounds. He'd readily agreed; he gathered what he needed, then put the backpack back into place.

He'd studied the area carefully and Jumped a couple of blocks away. He watched for the next 30 minutes before he started walking. He just needed to get there and then back out.

Some big, muscle-bound guy stepped out of the shadows and actually showed his cigarette. "Hey man, you got a light?"

Rick didn't smoke and didn't have the time. "No," he replied and kept walking.

"Then you can give me your wallet before I put a bullet in your gut and let you bleed out."

Rick stopped, slowly turned around, and found that sure enough, he had a gun and it was pointed at him. "Okay." Rick gave in easily and reached into his pocket to pull out the roll of money that he had.

"Damn, I hit the jackpot." The brawny thug was very happy with himself. He even reached out to take it. Rick put it in his hand, grasped his hand, and JUMPED!

"What the hell?" The guy didn't understand how he had gotten here. Worse he was falling. His only saving grace was that the sucker with the cash was falling with him. He began flapping his arms as if that was going to stop him from falling.

Rick pulled his hand back, checked that he still had the money, and Jumped again.

He was back where he started and began walking once more. He was never going to see that guy again and doubted that anyone else would ever see him either. It was a tiny speck of land that didn't even have a single palm tree. If the jerk was lucky he would actually be able to swim to civilization. Provided that he swam in the right direction.

Rick didn't see himself as a killer. Yes, he could've let him drop in the middle of the ocean and let the sharks eat him. It was also true that he would likely die either on that island or he would die by swimming the wrong direction and end up being eaten by sharks. But all of that was up to him.

He picked up the pace and walked faster.

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Rick was cautiously happy. He stepped around the corner and Jumped to where his backpacks were located. Picking them up, he pulled out the picture and Jumped again.

The sun had gone down only a little while ago and he was right where he wanted to be. Come tomorrow morning he just had to check in, pay his tuition, and get ready for his classes. He even had a place to live. He could have gotten a place all to himself but he couldn't risk stealing from banks again, so what he had needed to last for quite a while. So he'd found a place and would put up with having roommates. Two of them in fact.

He started walking down the sidewalk and headed right to it. Knocking on the door, a geeky-looking guy answered. Rick told him his new name. "Hi, I'm Rick Castle."

"Well hi, come on in. Is this all you have?" Rick was just carrying his two backpacks and a bag.

"Yeah, all of my worldly possessions," Rick confirmed since it was. It was now anyway.

"Not a problem. I'll show you around and show you your room. I'm Bruce Romano and I'm in civil and environmental engineering. This is the living room, dining room, kitchen. The refrigerator's separated into three sections; we all share the freezer. Eat only what you put into it."

"I tend to eat out a lot or have it delivered." Rick wasn't planning on cooking since he didn't know how.

"Okay. More room for us. Half bath." Then they went upstairs. "My room." He pointed at the door. "This is James Hooper's room. The sock on his door means stay out and don't knock unless the place is on fire. You can meet him later. He's in computer science." Then he leaned in close and whispered, "You need into something he's your man."

"Good to know." Rick wasn't sure he would ever need him for anything.

"This is your room. Twin bed, desk and chair, closet. I think there are a few hangers." It was a little tight, but Rick didn't care. "Laundry's down in the basement. You're responsible for a third of the power bill, water bill, cable TV bill, and the rent. If you need access to the router I'll get you the password. It's full of weird characters… James's idea. Something about security." Bruce whispered the last part. "He's paranoid, thinks the CIA is monitoring everything."

Rick shook his head. "You mean NSA. The CIA only works outside of the country."

"Not according to James," Bruce shrugged. "There's only the one bathroom up here so after we all get our class schedules we'll work out a schedule on who gets the room when. You're in English?" Bruce didn't remember exactly.

Rick corrected him. "Creative writing to be precise."

"A writer! How cool! …Richard Castle, I'll have to remember that name." Bruce really wasn't in the least bit interested. He was just happy that they had a third roomie to cover the expenses.

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The three of them went at the same time and essentially got in line. They knew what courses they would each be taking. Now it was time to find out just when and where on campus each class would take place.

Rick had walked off to one side and sat down in the grass under a little shade and started looking over his class schedule and where each class was located. "OH SWELL!" He was ready to collapse. He had a class at 7:30 am on the other side of the campus from the house he was helping to rent.

" **7:30!** " a new voice rang out and Rick could sympathize with whoever it was. He looked up and he saw what he was sure was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her cheek bones were prominent, long brown hair. He did kind of prefer blondes, but it looked good on her. But what he really noticed was the really long legs. Legs that started from the tennis shoes she was wearing and only ended when they reached the clouds.

"You too? Sounds like we'll both be up early," he commiserated and she stopped.

"At least it's close, but did it have to be at 7:30?" Kate knew she was an early riser, but this was taking things a little far.

"I'm an English major… You?" He wanted to keep talking to her.

"Pre-law," Kate answered and kept reading her course schedule.

"Pre-law, sounds aggressive. What are your plans if I may ask." Rick wanted to know more including her name, where she was staying, and even her phone number.

"Supreme Court Justice." Kate had a plan, she just hadn't expected to be up so early this semester.

"Impressive. Creative writing for me," Rick said and that seemed to get her attention.

"A writer." She loved reading books. "I'm Kate." She sat down but kept her distance.

"Rick Castle. You wait, I'll have several books on the New York's top ten best sellers list. I can't fail." He really did need for this to work. He just didn't need his picture posted all over where that Aaron guy could see it.

"You sound cocky!" Kate was starting to dislike him. He was too full of himself.

"No, just sure in what I want to succeed at. Don't you want to succeed?" Rick countered.

Kate took away her bad marks. She had been too impulsive, too fast to judge him. "You're right. I apologize."

"I'll accept your apology if I can buy you a coffee. I missed breakfast this morning. …I'll even throw in a pastry or perhaps a bagel," Rick offered since he wanted to keep talking to her. Get a chance to learn more.

He wasn't bad on the eyes and she **had** been a little mean in judging him. "Deal, provided I get to choose." She knew what she wanted.

Rick had no clue where to go. "Do you know of a place?"

"First semester here?" It sounded like it to her.

"Yes, everyone has to start somewhere," he replied defensively.

"It's my second. Come on, I know just the place." Kate was intrigued. She'd dated a little during her previous semester but she'd been so dedicated to her classes that there was no one special. She didn't know much about him, but she was willing to give him a chance. Kate got up, glancing around to make sure she knew where to go. "You coming, Castle?" Why was he still just sitting there?

"Yes!" He eagerly stood up. "Lead the way." He stood back a couple steps, letting her go first. "And you can call me Rick." He preferred first names.

"I'll stay with Castle for now," Kate said.

Rick took the small opening she'd given him, jumped through, and prayed he would catch her. "Is that a yes to my offer for a dinner date?"

"Coffee first, then we'll see." Kate only just now realized what she'd said. What she didn't know was why she'd given him an opening.

"Then this place had better have the best coffee on the planet," Rick responded as she led the way.

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They'd spent close to two hours in the coffee shop, drinking not one but two cups of coffee as well as enjoying two danish of Kate's choosing.

Rick was standing there smiling from ear to ear as he watched Kate walk away. The view he'd had while sitting across from her had been spectacular. And watching her ass sway as she walked was equally amazing. Even more amazing was she was willing to go out on a date with him in two weeks. She had wanted to attend her classes and get a handle on how they were going to go. "Last semester was filled with a lot of late night reading and writing. Time for anything else was a little limited," Kate had told him.

Rick had translated that one sentence into: _"She doesn't date much if at all and she hasn't gotten laid in months."_

He was still thinking that a woman that beautiful shouldn't be sitting around just reading or writing papers. Which suddenly reminded him – he needed to get a computer so he could type everything. And a printer, Zip discs, an external Zip drive, and paper and ink. He knew just who to ask where all that was.

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It had taken him three days to select what he wanted and get all of it up to his room. At first he'd considered getting a desktop computer with a big monitor. The problem with that was where was he going to fit the desk. His room was tiny.

Now he was sitting up in bed with his laptop in his lap. The printer was sitting on the dresser, barely. Along with extra paper and extra ink. His roommate James had set him up and he was connected to everything perfectly. He just had to be careful of all the cables that were routed everywhere.

First thing he did was start looking for a good place to take Kate to for their dinner date. Classes started in two days so he needed to find a place before that.

He'd at least found out a lot about her. She loved Chinese and Italian food but wasn't a fan of Mexican cuisine. Though she liked most Thai food and even some Indian food. She even loved greasy burgers, fries, and shakes. The question he hadn't asked was how did she keep her figure if she ate that much.

She'd been born and raised in New York. Had chosen Stanford as her ideal school and thought of herself as getting lucky to get in. That had launched Rick into talking about all the boarding schools he had been in as well as all the ones he'd been kicked out of.

"You put a cow on the roof!?" Kate had commented skeptically then had started laughing. "Okay Castle, what else have you done?" She was sure she had just met the biggest prankster on the planet.

His life sounded a whole lot more exciting than hers and that was what intrigued her about him. He was willing to take risks that she hadn't considered doing. Dating Castle was going to be anything but boring, and that alone had her hooked. He wasn't a _Bad Boy_ like some of her high school boyfriends. He was just far more adventurous than any of her boyfriends. Now if she could just keep Madison from stealing him…

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"What are you doing Kate?" Her roommate entered their dorm room to find Kate standing there partially dressed with half of her closet laid out on her bed.

"OH, hey Jen. I'm just trying to make a decision on what to wear." Kate went back to looking at what used to be in her closet.

"Big date coming up I take it?" Jen started firing off questions. "What's his name? Is he good looking? …And does he have a brother?"

"In about two weeks, his name is Rick, and no, he doesn't have a brother." Kate leaned down to pick something up.

"TWO WEEKS! And you're trying to find something to wear already? You must really like him. I don't remember you doing this last semester," Jen commented as she stepped next to Kate and looked at all the clothes on the bed. "And you didn't answer my question," Jen reminded her.

"What? Yes I did." Kate was sure she had answered her roommates barrage of questions. Then she remembered them and started picking up clothes to put back into her closet.

"He must not be just good looking, he must be a hunk. Rick what?" Jen wanted answers.

Kate hung up what she had in her hands. "None of your business. I found him, he's mine."

"Oh, you've got it bad and on your first date, too." She was sure Kate had gone over the edge for this boy.

Jen decided to tease her. "Just warn me ahead of time if you plan on bringing him here to have sex with him so I can make arrangements to sleep somewhere else."

" **WE'RE NOT HAVING SEX!** We haven't even had our first date yet." Now, of course, the question of what Rick looked like naked ran through her mind.

"Oh, but you want to or you wouldn't be trying to decide what to wear already," Jen insisted since she was having so much fun at Kate's expense.

"So how big is he? Is he Godzilla? So big and so long that all it does is hurt? Or is he normal size and you simply like it. Or is he a pocket rocket?" Jen was curious as to just what Kate desired in a penis.

"We're not talking about this." Kate's back straightened and her whole body stiffened as she went back to her bed and picked up more of her clothes. She was getting really annoyed.

"Considering how skinny you are, Godzilla's out. Better hope he's not 9-inches or bigger." She was having fun.

" **JEN!** " Kate couldn't believe how they got onto this topic. "And I'm not skinny…I'm athletic." She stuck her chin out and turned her back on her roommate.

"With as much Yoga as you do, I'll buy that. So you want a pocket rocket." Jen thought she was getting somewhere now.

"If he's big enough to stretch me, yeah. Okay, enough of this, Jen, we haven't even kissed yet let alone had sex." Kate was so done.

"FINE!" Jen had gotten what she wanted anyway. "Just remember to give me some warning if you decide to have sex on your first date." She moved over to her desk to start work on her little project.

"We're NOT having sex on our first date!" Kate was sure of that.

"Maybe," Jen remarked softly.

"Yes, maybe. …WAIT! No maybe about it. **NO SEX!** " Kate yelled.

"Who's not having sex?" a voice inquired when a new girl entered their room.

"Kate's getting ready for her first date in two weeks and plans on having sex on their first date." Jen's teasing was going full throttle now that Karen was here.

"I SAID NO SUCH THING! **YOU!** Out, out, out." Kate started pushing Karen out of their room so she could shut the door on her and any others that wanted in on this conversation.

She shut the door and locked it. "AND YOU… **No.** **S** **ex.** " Kate pointed her finger at Jen.

"Oh, I plan on having sex this semester. Lots and lots of sex. …Hey, maybe you could invite your boyfriend over and we could have an orgy." Jen couldn't hide the giant smile that was on her face.

"For the last time! We're **not** having sex and he's **not** my boyfriend." Kate went back to putting her clothes away.

"Just make sure you leave the blinds open so I can use my binoculars," Jen added and listened to Kate scream. Teasing her was so much fun and the semester hadn't even officially begun. Yeah, this was going to be a really good semester. She could feel it… For both of them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hope 5**

Kate was happy. Well, save for her one 7:30 morning class that was at least close to her dorm, she was happy. In fact she was smiling wide as she searched her closet and selected a nice skin revealing sun dress. She couldn't help it. On her very first day of class she had found Castle in her lobby holding a cup of coffee and he'd been almost grinning when he handed it to her. He was obviously a goof, but he was a kind goof.

They had been sending each other text messages for the last 2 weeks. Kate found it all to be very cute. She was also finding out that he was better with words than she was. And it solidified her belief that he was a goof.

"Ooo!" Jen commented as she entered their room. "That will definitely get his attention."

"Not too much, you think?" Kate wasn't sure why she was asking Jen since she already knew the answer.

Jen actually moved over and lifted the spaghetti strap. "No bra; yeah that will definitely get his attention." Jen liked it. It had _"I'm getting laid tonight"_ written all over it.

Kate started taking off the dress. "I'm changing. Maybe some jeans and a simple top."

"You'll do no such thing." Jen took hold of both of her arms. "You obviously like him. God knows you've been glued to that phone of yours for the last 2 weeks. "Show him that you're interested in him. If it was me, I'd let one of those skinny straps fall off my shoulder." Jen knew she was pushing a little but this was a different Kate than the one she'd shared a room with last semester.

"I told you we're not having sex." Kate went back to taking the dress off.

"Will you stop!" Jen lifted the straps back up onto her shoulders. "Okay, I won't tease you. Now put on your shoes, grab your bag, and get going or you'll be late. WAIT! Is that him down in the lobby! The one standing there with a single rose in his hand? He's cute." Jen now had an idea of what he looked like and she approved.

"He's here already!?" Kate started to panic. She grabbed a pair of kitten-heeled sandals and looked for a clutch to take with her.

"You better hurry, there are girls in this dorm that would steal him in a heartbeat." Including her if Kate wasn't so taken with him already.

"OH GOD!" Kate scrambled to find what to put into her clutch. She'd fallen for Jen's tease and never even noticed.

Jen couldn't help herself. "Are you going commando in addition to being braless?"

"Argh!" Kate couldn't believe her and even slammed the door on her way out.

Kate was probably in the elevator by the time Jen left the room and went down the hall. "Hey Vik. Think I can crash here tonight?" Jen wanted to do Kate a favor and not get in the way.

"Sure, just bring your own pillow and your own bear to cuddle with," Vik smiled.

"Thanks, he's long, ribbed, has a head on one end and is hairless," Jen teased back. "And yes, he has new batteries." Jen left her sitting there with her mouth hanging open and went back to her room.

"JUST MAKE SURE YOU BRING HIS BROTHER!" Vik called after her. Jen grinned. This semester was going to be the best semester **EVER!**

Kate spotted him the second the door opened and she also saw the girl at the desk ripping his clothes off with her eyes. GOD but he looked good. Jeans with flip flop sandals and a Hawaiian shirt that was barely buttoned. She'd wanted her dress to get his attention but it was his shirt that had her attention. Kate croaked out his name. "Castle." She cleared her throat and walked straight to him, unable to take her eyes off his exposed chest. "Hi, Castle." She looked up at him and noticed that his eyes also looked up at the same time to meet her eyes. Pleased, she smiled. He'd noticed she was braless.

"Hi," Rick's voice rasped softly. His hand whipped around and he held something out. "This is yours." It was a single red rose in its own little plastic vial with water in it.

Kate looked at the rose. Roses weren't really her thing, but she knew he didn't know that. "Thanks." She took it and lifted it to her nose. "You look nice." Kate was lying; he looked far more than nice.

"You, however, look stunning." She had been gorgeous the first time he had seen her, now she was incredible. If she ever looked better than this he was a dead man. His heart would stop beating and his brain would no longer function.

"I called for a taxi which should be here by now," Rick said. So they walked toward the door. Sure enough she found a taxi parked illegally in the parking lot, waiting. "651 Oak Grove, Menlo Park," he told the driver. But that didn't tell her anything.

"Where are we going?" Kate questioned.

"An Italian restaurant, it's not far. There's a cafe and a Starbucks not that far away if you're willing to walk after dinner," he replied.

"Is there a park?" If they were going to walk and talk she would rather do it there.

"Burgess Park. But it's not really within walking distance." At least he didn't think it was. His answer told Kate where they were going since she knew where that park was.

Kate wanted to go there. "We can always get another taxi."

"Taxi it is then." Rick was more than willing to take her there after dinner and coffee.

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Kate got out of the taxi and looked at the restaurant. "Piccolo."

Rick was immediately convinced that he'd made a mistake. "Is that good or bad? Have you been here before?"

"Good. …I mean, neither actually. I've never been here before." She couldn't even remember ever seeing this place. "Sounds Italian." Kate was willing to give it a shot.

"If we say 'ciao' we get a complimentary Brushetta Di Pomodoro and house wine for $5.00." Rick was all smiles since he thought he'd found a place they could both like.

"Tomatoes and basil leaves on bread," Kate said, letting him open the door for her. "I told you I liked Italian, Castle." She smiled at him as they entered. They both made sure that they said ciao to the lady that seated them and their hostess that took their orders.

Kate looked around. "This is nice Castle."

Rick wasn't so convinced. "We can do better next time." He kicked himself for never coming here to look first.

"Why?" Kate didn't see anything wrong.

"Everything's plastic." Rick fingered the nearby plants and even pointed out the fake porcelain décor. "Even that wall is wallpaper and not a real painting." He'd been looking for a place that would impress her.

Kate wasn't leaving. "Well, I still like it. Besides if the food's good who cares what the restaurant looks like?" Then she glanced at her menu. "Castle, this place is expensive." The entrees started at $24.95.

"Nothing to worry about." He was willing to spend twice that price to impress her.

She chose something less expensive but it was still costly. _Fiocchetti Con Here (V)._ Rick didn't care about the cost and chose _Scaloppine Piccata_

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"Ignoring the fake everything, dinner was delicious," Kate commented as they slowly walked through the park.

"Yeah, it was. I apologize for being too critical of the place. You choose next time," Rick suggested and tried to keep in step with her walk.

"In that case it's Chinese," Kate proclaimed. "Or pizza. That way I can take it back to my room and feed my roommate. She's a sucker for pizza and I can use the leftovers to soften her up for when I do something that pisses her off," she rambled then suddenly shut up.

"Pizza." He stored that bit of information away for another time. "So why Stanford? If you're going into law shouldn't you be in Harvard?" Rick was sure that was _the_ place for lawyers.

Kate snorted. "Hah-vuhd." She did her best to mimic being a stuck-up, highbrow nobody trying to be somebody. "I want to be a Supreme Court Justice, not some stinking rich bitch that thinks money is the only thing in life." She rolled her eyes.

Rick tried to understand. "So you want to have control but not be rich?"

"Control?" Kate was ready to shoot him.

He defended himself. "A Supreme Court Justice has the final say in all things that involve what is lawful. Isn't that control?"

She opened her mouth to counter his assertion and then closed it to think about it. "It's guidance, not control. Lawyers get justice, not revenge, and it's not about money." Though she was hoping that a Supreme Court Justice got paid well.

"But don't you have to be a lawyer first and make a name for yourself so you can be chosen?"

"Yes, but you don't have to sacrifice your morals to do it." Kate still thought her plan was the best plan.

"Good." Rick spun Kate to face him then he kissed her. At first she didn't kiss him back and then she grabbed a handful of hair and forced him to hold the kiss.

Kate finally broke from the kiss to get some air. "WOW!" She'd never been kissed like that before.

"Yeah, WOW!" Rick agreed.

She was conflicted. What she wanted to do was kiss him again and then her fight with her roommate came to mind. "No, we're not having sex." Kate began shaking her head.

" **We're not!** " They were kissing not having sex. Then he said, "We're not having sex?" Rick was confused.

"No… Yes… I don't know. My roommate has been teasing me ever since she found out about you. She's been razzing me about having sex on the first date." Kate couldn't stop talking.

"And we're not having sex?" Rick was wondering, as in never, ever?

"No… I mean, not on a first date." She could feel her blush starting up her cheeks and turned away from him.

"So we're having sex on the second date?" Rick really didn't get it.

" **WHAT?!** No, I mean. …What did you say?" Kate was confused plus she wanted to kiss him again.

"We're talking about sex," he reminded her.

"My roommate wants to have sex." Jen seemed to be talking about nothing else.

Rick was still trying to catch up to what they were talking about. "With me or with you?"

"Yes… maybe… I don't know." Then things clicked for her. "No, not me. Can we please stop talking about sex?" She needed off this topic before she said or did something stupid.

"Well, since we'll never be having sex…" He didn't see what else there was to do **but** stop talking about it.

"WHAT? I never said…" Kate stopped talking when Rick kissed her again. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. "Wow!" Kate whispered when she broke from the kiss.

"So sex on our second date?" he teased; she was clearly not thinking straight.

"Yes. … **NO** , I mean no. And you're not having sex with my roommate either." She wasn't losing him to her roommate or anyone else for that matter.

Rick did his best to not smile. "Well that kind of takes the fun out of dating you if we're never going to have sex."

"Will you shut up and kiss me?" Kate didn't wait and kissed him.

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Kate was escorted to the elevators in her dorm building. Rick pretended to be hurt. "Aren't you going to invite me up?"

"Guys aren't allowed upstairs." She had never even thought about trying to sneak a guy onto her floor let alone into her room.

He smiled at her. "We can plan on how to sneak me in during our next date."

"Maybe. …No, definitely not." For one the other girls on her floor would see him and then they'd never have a moment's peace. She waggled her finger at him. "Remember, no sex."

"What is it with you and sex? We can just neck while sitting on your bed." Rick immediately kissed her to keep her from rejecting that idea as well.

"I'll text you and we can discuss where our second date will be. Remember, you're choosing this time. Is two weeks from now too long?" he whispered into her lips.

"Yes," she answered softly. All she saw was his lips that did amazing things. "I mean, no, two weeks sounds perfect," she agreed then kissed him. Kate felt the elevator doors open and retreated before she gave in and found a way to sneak him up to her room.

"I'll text you tomorrow. …Two weeks," Rick said just as the doors began to close.

"Two weeks," Kate confirmed. The doors closed and she collapsed against the wall. "I'm in so much trouble," she groaned.

Meanwhile, Rick ignored the stares he got from the young women in the lobby as he floated out the door and down the streets on his way home.

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"Well, look what the cat dragged in." Jen was still up. She hopped over to look out into the hallway. "So where is he? I even made arrangements to sleep somewhere else tonight." She was disappointed in Kate.

"He went home, where he's supposed to be," Kate snipped and began to take off her dress.

"Kate!?" Jen just didn't get her. Pretty girl meets handsome boy and sex happens. At least that was the way she thought it should be. She watched Kate strip off her dress. "So you did go commando." She was suddenly pleased with her roommate; there might still be hope for her. "Did he know and why isn't he up here? I'll help you sneak him up." Jen was more than willing to help.

"Will you **stop** **!** " Kate grabbed a towel and her shower bag. "No sex." She glared at Jen and left their room to go down to the restroom and shower area.

Jen stepped out into the hallway. "I'm disappointed in you." She went back into their room.

o- [:] -o

Kate glowered at Jen who was lying in bed while she changed into her sleep shirt. She wanted the teasing to stop. She hadn't had sex nor was she going to have sex. They'd simply kissed once. Okay, maybe closer to three times and there was no way she was telling Jen that they were the three best kisses of her life.

She tossed and turned. She was having trouble getting to sleep; her brain just wouldn't turn off. She could still feel those kisses on her lips. Jen's teasing about sex was also on her mind. Their talk about how big a cock she really liked was running around in there, too. It was only then that she realized that she hadn't said no to a second date. "Because I want one," Kate whispered to herself. Now just where was their second date going to be? She had two weeks to figure it out. Rick had said their next date was her choice.

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Rick was in his room and felt the need to check on his two backpacks. It was all the money he had and because of what happened before, he really didn't feel secure in taking money from banks. He might have a new name but he still had the same face. Unless he went far enough away, maybe. That got him on his computer to see what time it was in other places.

It was just short of 11:00 pm Pacific Time so what time was it farther away? He quickly learned that if he wanted money from a bank far away, he was going to have to do it during the middle of the day. "Tokyo is 16 hours ahead of me." It was proving to be more difficult than he thought. Rick set his alarm for 6 hours so he could go to Tokyo after the banks had closed. It would mean getting up really early. But since he had a 7:30 class so he needed to get up relatively early anyway.

Now he just needed a bank that had good pictures online.

o- [:] -o

It only took a few minutes of his time. Jump to a roof across the street, down to the sidewalk, into the building, to the other side of a door and into the vault. It was almost all Japanese yen. At one time he'd considered getting some Japanese yen, but now things were different. What he did find, though, made him smile. They had some American dollars, but not much. There were Chinese yuan, South Korean won, and even Russian rubles. He was a little confused as to just what to get. So he took all of the dollars, some yuan and won and filled the rest of the space with yen. He would sort it all out later.

A quick Jump and he left this backpack with the other two backpacks and Jumped to his room.

Rick was still worried that someone had seen him at the bank. Yes, he had worn his Disney advertisement clothing and yes, he'd worn his ski mask. But he was worried.

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" _Write a 5,000 word short story using one of these four topics. You have one week."_ His teacher had finished writing the four topics up on the board. The guy sitting next to him poked him and got his attention. He pointed at what was on the board.

"Oh shit!" He might have to cancel his date with Kate and that was the last thing he wanted to do. "Maybe she'll understand." He couldn't afford to flunk out this time. He had to behave himself, not Jump more than he had to and pass his courses or he would lose Kate. Possibly permanently.

"She has to understand. She just has to." He cradled his head in his hands. Rick was sure he was dead.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hope 6**

Kate was waiting patiently where Rick had suggested that they meet. It was still another week to their date and while she hadn't yet come up with a place for them to go, her mind was racing way out in front. Rick had found someone else and didn't want to see her anymore. He had cancer and was dying. Those were just the first two ideas that came to mind.

She was biting her lower lip and was playing with her fingers as she looked everywhere, including at the concrete at her feet. Finally she saw him jogging her direction. "Castle?" What she wanted to hear was good news not all the bad items her imagination was running away with.

"Hi!" He sounded happy to see her and then he kissed her. She eagerly returned his kiss as most of her horrifying imaginings about why they were meeting melted away. Rick broke from the kiss and Kate took the moment to get a new lungfull of fresh air before she kissed him again. She let her lips rest against his after she broke from the kiss. She liked his kisses. No, maybe loved… No, no, she craved his kisses! "Why are we meeting? Our date isn't for another week." She willed him to have a good reason.

"One of my professors gave us an assignment. A 5,000 word short story that's due by the end of next week," Rick said. Kate felt her heart start flying in joyous relief. He wasn't dying and it wasn't another girl!

"I'm not sure I'll be done by our date." He didn't want her to hate him; it wasn't his fault.

Kate let her head rest against his chest. "Is that all?" She now knew their date was out of his control. Then an idea hit her and she lifted her head to look at him. "I can read it and offer suggestions for changes if that will help?" Kate really wanted to keep their date.

"You? Really?" Rick had never even considered that.

Kate was hurt. "Why not me? I like to read."

"But you're in Pre-law, not creative writing." He wasn't sure she would know what to do.

"And have taken a number of English classes. I may not be a writer, but I do have to write my own papers, I'll have you know." Kate didn't want to be mad at him, but she was. At least a little.

He didn't see the connection between the two majors. He shrugged. "Okay," he quickly agreed.

Kate had been expecting him to fight back and was taken aback by his agreeing. "Really?"

"Sure, I trust you and it would be nice to have some fresh eyes reading it before I turn it in. Plus if we finish fast enough we can keep our date." Rick pressed his lips against her forehead and held them there. "I'll even return the favor. If you need to write a paper, I'll read it for you and make notes." Rick was more than willing to do the same.

"DEAL!" Kate lifted up and kissed him; his arm hold her close. Then she felt his tongue trying to gain entrance. It was a first and she was willing to taste him. She opened her mouth and the tongue war was on.

Kate broke from the kiss and did her best to take in more air. She raised back up and quickly kissed him. "Let me know when you're done and we can meet in my lobby."

Rick followed her lead. "Deal. Where are we going on our date?" He was terribly curious.

"I don't know yet. I have classes too, you know." She had been thinking about where, but hadn't come up with anything yet.

"Sorry, Kate. I was just wondering. Anyway, I need to get busy writing if we're going to keep our date." He was ready to leave. He wanted to get done early so she would have a chance to read it.

Kate was the one who was curious now. "What are you writing about?"

"We were given four choices. One dealt with Christmas." Rick saw her shrug her shoulders. It wasn't her first choice.

"Another was on Presidents. Though he didn't say what President." Rick was thinking of being an ass and writing one about the President of Panama or something. Kate was shaking her head 'No' about that one. "Another was to write about a mystery. What he didn't say was to create one of our own or to write about an existing one." Rick was splitting hairs here and he knew it.

"That sounds good, more interesting. Write about that one. Dream up a new one. Create the perfect murder, that should be fun to read." She liked that idea.

"The perfect murder?" Rick started thinking. Then he tilted his head and looked at Kate. "Are you trying to kill someone?" he teased.

"NO!" Kate smacked his chest. "Pre-law, remember?"

"I'm teasing." He wrapped his arms around her. "I was just trying to see if there was an ulterior motive for reading about the perfect murder." He grinned at her.

"When I'm a lawyer I want to be prepared. You write about murder mysteries and I read them and get ready for people who try and get away with murder.

"But don't go all creepy on me. No little green men from mars or CIA plots." She wanted something more realistic.

"I haven't even written it yet and you're taking all the fun out of it," Rick pouted, but all in fun. It earned him another smack to his chest.

"Believable, Castle, or you'll get an F for your paper," Kate warned.

"Good point. Something believable and he or she gets away with it." Now he had a challenge. Something that would get him an A for his paper and satisfy Kate.

"She?" Kate questioned; she was thinking of the person being shot.

"Women can be killers." Lord knows he knew of one that wanted him dead. She'd simply left it to someone else to do the dirty work. "Poison, hired killer, husband hater." It wasn't what he was thinking of, but still.

"Fine." Kate was resigned to it being a woman who killed. "Just make it believable Castle, and be done before our date." She raised up on tiptoe to kiss him again.

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Kate was sitting at her desk. She'd actually come up with a plan for their second date. She still needed a few things and needed to go to the grocery store.

Jen answered the phone after one ring and listened before hanging up. "Your boyfriend's downstairs." Jen watched as Kate jumped up and ran out the door. "Do I need to make plans to sleep somewhere else?" she yelled after her. But Kate ignored her jab and kept running.

Kate pushed the DOWN button and waited a few seconds, then pushed it twice. Followed by three more times. "Come on, come on." She didn't have the patience for this and was thinking about hitting the stairs when an elevator went _**BING**_ _._

"About time." Kate almost ran into the girl getting off and pressed **1** for the lobby. Then jabbed it twice more since the doors weren't closing.

"No, no, no. DOWN you stupid elevator." Kate hit the panel with her open palm. Up one floor and a girl got in and looked at the panel and settled back. She and Kate stopped at her floor and watched as no one got in. Kate could only sigh.

Kate found him sitting in a chair holding a number of pages in his lap. "CASTLE." Kate hurried straight at him and saw him stand up. She wasted no time; she kissed him then snatched all the papers out of his hands. "You finished!" Kate was dying to see what he had written. What did he think was the perfect murder?

"Yeah, last night actually. Then spent this morning rereading it looking for errors," Rick admitted.

"That's my job," Kate informed him tartly but she wasn't mad. She sat down intending to read it on the spot.

"You're going to read it now?" Rick had thought about simply dropping it off and then retreating to his room where he would sweat it out waiting for her to finish.

"It's only 5,000 words, Castle." Kate thought she could finish in no time.

"Well technically it's a little over that." Rick couldn't figure out how to reduce it to 5,000 words so it was a lot closer to 6,000. He sat down, watching Kate read and observing her face closely.

Kate would read a page and set it on the sofa face down next to her before starting on the next page. "Linchpin!" She didn't see any need for the topic. Still she kept reading. Then she stopped reading and looked at him. "I thought I said no CIA, Castle."

"Just keep reading." He liked it and thought Kate would too.

o- [:] -o

Rick was sweating bullets right up until Kate put the last page down. "What do you think?" He was dying while watching her reading.

Kate saw a fatal flaw. "He got caught, Castle."

"Just the guy that killed the kid. Sophia Turner, the one who ordered the hit, got away with it. And besides, Sophia killed him just after he killed the kid, so there's no one to rat her out." Rick thought it was perfect.

Kate thought about it. "A KGB mole finds what you call a linchpin that will cause China to stop funding the United States' debt. When that happens, the US economy will go into a deep depression. So the KGB defeats the US.

"Sophia gets a KGB agent to kill the kid and then she kills him and gets away with murder, all in the name of the CIA, while sending the US into a total economic collapse at the hands of China." Kate wasn't quite sure what to think of it.

"She's CIA and KGB. The KGB kills the kid and gets away with it. The CIA never finds out about Sophia and the CIA will never arrest her for killing a KGB agent. In fact they might promote her." Rick thought it was perfect.

The perfect murder!

Kate collected all of the papers and tried to get them to stack up neatly. "I'll mark it up tonight and give it back to you tomorrow."

"Where are we going?" Rick was dying to know that ever since he finished last night.

She teased him about her plan. "It's a secret. Just be ready for a late lunch and wear something cool since we're going to be outside; sunscreen might be a good idea."

"Outside."

"Don't hurt your brain, Castle, you'll never guess. Just be ready." Kate got up and bent down to kiss him, wishing she had her hands free to hold him and kiss him deeper.

"See you tomorrow!" She added a little sway to her hips as she walked to the elevators and pressed the button. Stepping into the car, she saw him still sitting there. So she blew him a kiss just before the doors closed.

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Kate was walking into the lobby of her dorm when she spotted Rick. "I'll be right down." Kate rushed over to the elevators, stabbed the **UP** button several times, and watched Rick as the doors closed.

" **Hands OFF**!" Kate yelled at Jen who had been caught red-handed looking into what Kate had sitting on her desk.

Jen backed away from the desk. "I didn't take anything, honest. I was just looking." Kate added what she had come back with then started searching for his story that had her notes scrawled all over it.

"Your idea or his?" Jen was curious who had thought of this.

"Mine, if you must know." Kate thought her idea was brilliant.

"You must really like him," Jen commented, wishing she'd found him first.

"It's just a late lunch." Kate wasn't going to admit it to Jen. "Gotta go, don't wait up." She had no idea when she would be back. It was certainly going to be as late as she could arrange it.

Kate almost dropped her pile of papers when she stabbed at the **DOWN** button, but she caught herself and didn't drop her basket either.

When the elevator door opened she saw Rick sitting in the chair he also chose.

"Hi!" Kate's face beamed with a smile and she gave him her handful of papers. "I made notes for you. Use them or ignore them." She was silently wishing he made all of the changes.

Rick took the papers and noticed what was in her other hand. "What's with the basket?"

"Lunch… It's a picnic basket. I thought a picnic in our park would be nice. Then we can take in the movie that's being shown. It's free for students." Kate actually liked that part the best.

"Picnic in a park." Rick was willing. Especially if he got to hand feed her like they did in that movie, _9-1/2_ _W_ _eeks_. Hopefully she even had cherries.

"Let's go, we can take our bikes. Just don't lose those." She pointed at the papers he had in his hand.

"Bike? Like in bicycle or motorcycle?" Rick didn't know what she was thinking now.

"Bicycle, silly. …You do have a bicycle?" How could he not have a bicycle? He shook his head. "You don't have a bicycle?" What idiot didn't have a bicycle? "How do you get around campus without a bike?" As far as she was concerned a bike was a must-have.

"Walk or run mostly." Jumping was out since he was doing his best to cut down on that. He didn't want to get caught again.

"We're getting you a bicycle," Kate announced and didn't even think to question if he could afford one. "It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Mine certainly isn't." Hers didn't even have any gears.

"Oh, and a lock and a helmet. One with numbers not a key. And pant clips so that your pant legs don't get caught in the teeth. Plus blinkers for when you ride at night." Kate's list just kept getting bigger.

"Now?" Rick wanted the picnic, not to go bicycle shopping.

"No, silly. Picnic first. I'll get the desk to call us a taxi." She handed over the basket and went to the desk.

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Rick had watched her race back up to her room and come back down with a blanket for them to use. One short taxi ride away, a little walking, then Kate announced she'd found just the right spot. Spreading the blanket out and unpacking her basket, they were soon able to enjoy their lunch date.

"Not too girlie for you?" Kate liked the isolation of where she had selected. It meant they were alone and she didn't see anyone else. She had also started smiling when she'd noticed that Rick had realized that she wasn't wearing a bra again.

She wasn't ready for sex just yet, though. She liked him and wanted to keep him. Not have sex with him then find out he was leaving her. Still teasing him was fun. She'd chastised herself for taking peeks at his groin. Jen's teasing over just how big his cock really was had gotten to her.

The main portion of lunch was done and now they were lying near one another as they picked up small pieces and ate them. Then Kate smiled when Rick's next piece was offered to her. He was feeding her. She opened her mouth, let him place it inside, and smiled while she chewed. Then she did the same for him.

With his next piece, Kate took his hand and let his finger remain in her mouth so that she could suck on it and twirl her tongue around it. Surprised and a bit turned on, Rick leaned in to kiss her and Kate kissed him back. She squealed a little when suddenly he was on top and kissing her. She slipped her arms around him and kissed him.

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 **The following section is Rated M: Reader discretion is advised!**

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When Rick slid off to one side a little, she was all set to complain. She'd liked having him on top of her, holding her in place while they kissed. However, she soon found his hand on her breast over her top. When his hand started palming her breast, she moaned into the kiss.

As great as it was she wanted more, so she flipped them and now she was on top. Her kiss silenced any objection Rick had. It also gave her an opportunity so she took it. She ran her hand down his chest, over his stomach, and onto his cock that was still trapped inside his shorts. Since she didn't really have her hand on him, it was hard to tell just how big he was. But it wasn't difficult to tell that he had an erection.

Kate took her hand off his erection and used it to shove his Disney t-shirt up, exposing his chest. She stopped kissing him so that she could kiss, lick, and bite his nipple.

She felt him lift her dress and his hand was on her bare ass. Rick now knew she'd gone commando. She moaned when his finger ran up the crack of her ass. That sensation caused her to bite a little harder on his nipple than she had intended.

She ran her hand back down to his trapped cock and start massaging it from the outside. "Kate?!" Rick was thinking it was time to get rid of all their clothes and have sex.

"Don't move, Castle. Just touch me." She hadn't thought to bring a condom and doubted that he carried one around with him.

Then he flipped them again and pulled the top of Kate's sundress down just enough to expose her breast whose nipple was instantly in his mouth. She held his head in place as she moaned from the sensation. Then a gasp escaped her as she felt Rick's hand on her core followed by his finger slipping inside her. "OH GOD!" Kate lifted her ass to get more friction and willed him to start using that finger on her clit. She moaned when it actually came true. His finger was right where she wanted it.

Kate held his head to her breast. "Don't stop, Castle. Please don't stop." She got her wish when his finger sped up; it was soon all too much for her as she lifted her ass, bit down on her lower lip to keep from screaming, and climaxed. Another gasp escaped her lips when that same finger entered her yet again. It took a moment for her to calm down as Rick's finger just caressed her outer lips.

"Your turn, Castle." Kate flipped them and worked to get his shorts off only to find Disney boxers underneath. "You must really like Disney," she commented and momentarily wondered when the two of them would go there.

She finally had his shorts down around his legs and was now rubbing his hard cock from the outside of his boxers. "Kate!" Rick wanted, no, needed more. She started smiling. She had him begging already.

She pulled his boxers down; his erect cock sprang up and gave Kate her first look at it. He was circumcised which actually made her smile. It meant there was no foreskin hiding the head of his cock. It was exposed for her to play with. He wasn't long, maybe 5 inches or 5.5 inches at best, but he was big. So big that she started to worry that he wouldn't fit in her mouth. When he was finally inside her one day, he was going to possibly stretch her more than she liked. "Pocket Rocket," Kate whispered softly.

"What?" Rick had heard her say something but had missed it. His mind instantly started telling him that she hated the size of his cock. He was too small for her liking. Then she started licking it while massaging his balls. Rick began moaning instantly. "OH GOD!" She had somehow found just the right spot.

" **KATE!** " If she didn't leave that spot alone he was going to… He almost screamed as he climaxed.

She was caught a little by surprise by how quickly he came. Smiling to herself, she tucked that spot on his cock into her memory for next time.

She'd never really liked the taste of a man's come, still she wanted to taste his, so she licked the head just a little. He wasn't as bad as all the others. Maybe with a little more practice she might actually start to like it.

Kate slid up his body kissing the exposed skin all the way till she could kiss his mouth. A little of his come was still inside her mouth and Rick got his first taste of himself. "Happy second date," she told him before kissing him. When she raised her head, she said, "Tag, you're it." That was her telling him their third date was up to him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hope 7**

Rick had made his choice for their third date and had high hopes for it. He'd already texted Kate that she should wear something lightweight and make sure she had on a swimsuit underneath that. Flip flops or tennis shoes, sunscreen, towel, and anything else she could think of.

"Where are you going dressed like that?" Jen asked after walking into their room.

"Actually I have no idea; he hasn't said. Personally I'm hoping for a beach." Kate dropped a few things into her oversized beach bag that doubled as a more conventional tote.

"Just make sure you take some sunscreen. I don't want to hear you moaning about your sunburn all night," Jen teased which earned her the sight of Kate sticking her tongue out at her, which had her chuckling.

"You're just jealous," Kate called over her shoulder as she exited their room.

"Damn right I am," Jen answered softly. She had plans for getting laid this semester and so far Kate was way out in front of her. She moved to the open door. "And bring back some seashells if there are any," she yelled down the hallway and saw Kate wave her arm in response.

Kate could feel her smile growing in the elevator trip down. She was really learning to like Rick. He was easy on the eyes. He wasn't pushing for them to have intercourse. He was a decent enough kisser. They just needed more practice. Something she was more than happy to do. Plus given their classroom schedule, dates every two weeks was so far working out just fine.

She smiled even wider when the doors opened and she spotted Rick standing there talking to the girl at the front desk. For a moment she worried that she was trying to steal him from her. Yet those fears faded fast when he turned upon hearing the elevator doors open and started smiling.

He was dressed in swim shorts and a barely buttoned Hawaiian shirt. Her eyes lit up. _Oh she had plans on what her hands could do with that much exposed skin._ He even had his own bag similar to hers. She walked right up to him and raised up to kiss him. "Hi." This third date was so far working out pretty well.

"Hi, ready to go? I had her call us a taxi since it's about 20 miles from here," Rick told her.

"More than ready." Kate took his arm and started walking. This might be his date, but she liked that he was willing for her to be in charge. "Where are we going?" Twenty miles was a bit far for bikes, not that he had one yet. Something she planned on bugging him about.

"It's called Coyote Park Recreation Area. I've made arrangements for us to share a picnic area with another group. We just need to stop at a store to pick up a few things and they'll share with us.

"They plan on volleyball, horseshoes, and there's a walking trail. And of course a beach. As well as a surprise later if I can talk you into it." He wasn't sure about it so he planned on springing it on her in the hopes she wouldn't say no. This place had gun range.

"A surprise. ...Have I told you that I hate surprises?" Kate couldn't remember if she had or not.

"Oops." Rick cursed himself for saying that out loud. "Try not to think about it; we don't have to do it if you don't want." He'd try and talk her into it just the same.

 _How was she supposed to not think about a surprise that she already hated?!_ Kate held her tongue and said nothing.

A quick stop at a nearby 7-Eleven and they had snacks, drinks, beer, cookies, jerky, and even some gummy bears that Rick insisted that they buy. "Fine, but you're using your money for them." Kate grumbled. She was not a fan. Only to find out that he paid for everything and refused to take her money.

"You paid for your date and this date is mine." Rick was adamant. Kate let out a breath. He was right so she let him have his gummy bears and let him buy it all.

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Kate was placing the last of what they had brought on one of the many picnic tables when one of the women approached her. "Do you ride?"

"I ride my bicycle from my dorm to my classes." Kate didn't think that was what she meant, but she wasn't sure. After all Rick had never said anything about being a rider.

Kate saw her smile. "I mean motorcycles. Granted most of us got here in cars. ...Someone had to bring the food." She asked her question again. "I mean do you **ride**?"

"Actually I do own a Harley Softail," Kate confirmed. "It's in storage back home with my dad in New York. I didn't have anyplace for it here." She also didn't know how she was going to get it here.

"I KNEW IT!" She'd been sure Kate was a rider. She asked yet another question. "Does your boyfriend ride?"

"Castle? Oh he's not… You know, I actually don't know." Was Castle her boyfriend? She really liked him and they had had a little sex, even if they hadn't had intercourse yet.

"Excuse me… Castle!" Kate had a question for him. He didn't even have a bicycle so how did he know about these people?

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Kate had held onto Rick all the way home to her dorm. Right now she was kissing him for all she was worth right there in the dorm's lobby. Partly because she had completely enjoyed their date, but also because she wanted the girls in the lobby to keep their hands, lips, tongue, and everything else off of him. "WOW!" Kate whispered after that kiss; she rested her head against his chest.

"Please tell me you had fun." Rick thought she had. After all she had laughed, played volleyball with him, laid on the beach holding his hand. She had even kissed him for all to see while they were standing in the cold pacific water. He'd completely enjoyed the volleyball game, even if he had sucked at it. He blamed Kate's bikini-clad bouncing breasts for his poor play.

"It was amazing, Castle. Thank you." Kate couldn't resist lifting up to kiss him again. Unfortunately she also had bad news. "You need to know… I have a paper due soon so you may not hear from me for a while." She would try to answer his texts but wasn't committing to being available.

"Not a problem. …Two weeks?" Rick wanted to date her again. And kiss her and taste her and make love to her.

"My turn. I'll think of something." She didn't know what, but she would think of something.

Kate took a deep breath. "Castle… I know it's early, but I was wondering, come Christmas break, do you have plans? I mean if you want to be with your family I understand. I'm not even sure if my dad will have time." Kate shut up since she was rambling.

Rick smiled since to him it meant Kate wanted to keep seeing him. "Just your dad?" He'd heard that part.

Kate's whole body seemed to get a little smaller, like she was folding in on herself. "Mom left us when I was little, so it's just me and my dad." She hoped that wouldn't change what was happening with them.

"I'm so sorry, Kate. That's got to be hard. As for me, it's just me and my mom. She's off on some tour. I'm not really sure just where she is." He really had no idea how he was going to reach his mother.

"I know how it feels." She caressed his face. "I'm sorry, Castle." Kate cuddled back into his chest. It appeared they had something in common. "So, plans?"

Rick held her a little tighter. "No, no plans. I can start thinking of something if you want. Maybe the college has a group plan that we can attend. If you don't go home."

"I'd like that. A group might be fun. Much like today." Kate hugged him tighter and pressed her nose into him so she could smell him. He smelled like a mix of salt water, sunscreen, and sweat.

"I'll see what I can find out." Rick would start first chance he got.

"Two weeks, Castle," Kate reminded him and lifted her head up to kiss him again. Kate smiled then realized she really wished he could come up with her. Maybe not for sex, but just to hold him and kiss him. Being separated from him had somehow become something she didn't much like.

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It was Kate's turn for a date and she had wracked her brain to come up with something new. Something neither of them had been to or even tried.

Jen stopped studying and turned to look at Kate who was sitting on her bed flipping through a magazine. "How's it going with your boyfriend?"

"Fine." Kate really wasn't listening. Her mind was still searching for something they could do together.

"Oh, you've got it bad." Jen was disappointed that Kate wasn't being more defensive. Blowing her off over her digging for information.

"Mm-hm," Kate agreed absently, not really listening to her.

Jen's eyes lit up; she saw an opening and took it. "So, was he good in bed? How big is he?" She started out with a wide smile then lost it when she noticed Kate really wasn't paying attention to her.

"Big…sex…" Kate flipped to the last page and was dejected that she still hadn't thought of something. Then it clicked. "Wait, _who_ did you have sex with?" Kate was slowly catching up.

"Not me, you," Jen said impatiently.

"I thought you told me that you intended on having lots and lots of sex this semester."

The redirection had Jen off her game. "Yeah, that was the plan." So far it hadn't worked out.

"I'm sure if you went over to the boys' dorm, went down to the basement and stripped, then spread your legs you would get all the sex you wanted." If sex was all she was interested in, she could easily get just that.

"Not like that! That's just being fucked. I can do that with my own vibrator. I want…" Jen knew what she wanted; she just hadn't found anyone.

"You want to be made love to. To know that you are wanted. That he worships you and not just your body," Kate said softly. It was what she wanted so badly as well.

"Yeah…" Jen admitted it just as another girl entered their room.

"Do either of you two have… What's wrong with her?" She nodded her head at Jen who looked completely crestfallen.

"She wants a boyfriend. One that won't just fuck her," Kate replied.

"Her and me both. Hell most of the girls on this floor are wishing for that. Boys are stupid and the men are all married."

"Why do you look so happy?" She looked at Kate.

Jen enlightened her as to why Kate looked happy. "She has Rick."

"Is that the guy that had your tongue down his throat? He looked nice." She, too, wished she'd met him before Kate did.

"That's the one. I have a bed waiting for me when Kate finally decides to sneak him up here and fuck his brains out." Jen went back to teasing since that was all she had.

"What did you come in here for?" Kate wanted off this topic, even if she had been dreaming of how to sneak Rick up here and fuck his brains out.

"Tampons. …I ran out." She knew how stupid it sounded. Like what woman would ever run out of those, but she had and her roommate apparently had as well, since she had searched their room.

"Right closet, top shelf." Kate pointed to her closet and watched her search it.

With a couple tampons in hand, she smiled and said, "Thanks, and good luck sneaking your boyfriend up here." She left Kate and Jen and headed for the common restroom/showers.

"So when are you sneaking him up here? A little heads-up would be nice." Jen was more than willing to vacate the room so at least one of them could get laid.

"I need an idea for a location for a date first." Kate collapsed against the wall that was at her back.

"Does he have a bike? You could join one of those midnight bicycle tours. They all end at some bar where they have a small party." Jen went back to teasing. "Get drunk, sneak him up here, and have sex."

"He doesn't have a bike." Kate rolled her eyes. Just how did he get around? Hell she didn't even know where he lived. She suddenly had an idea. "I'll drag him out to a bike shop and he can buy one! Jen, where's this next bike tour?" Kate got up and went over to the phone in their room.

Jen searched her desk for the flier. "Gold Cane Cocktail Lounge, 1569 Haight Street. Be there with your bikes 10 minutes before midnight." She eavesdropped on Kate and heard her tell Rick to meet her downstairs. She was taking him to a local bike shop to get him a bicycle. "Because you need one if you want to go out on our date." Kate couldn't believe that he was still resisting getting a bike. She even had a motorcycle for gods sake.

Bemused, Jen watched as Kate headed for the door to go downstairs. "Do I need to find a place to sleep tonight?" Jen called after her.

" **NO!** "Kate yelled back from the hallway as she strode to the elevators. She liked Jen, she really did, but there were times…

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Kate answered for Rick when a sales guy approached them. "My friend here needs a bike for school. I think he's running to his classes."

He asked a couple of questions and took them over to the Urban type bikes. "Those bikes are mountain bikes and those are more racing bikes. A few of these are more of a cross between a simple touring bike and a race bike. This one has only one speed while others can have between 3 and 10 speeds," he elaborated.

"This one kind of looks like my bike." Kate pointed out one that looked a lot like hers.

"That's a single speed bike and would be good to get you from your room across the campus to get to your class," the sales guy said.

Rick walked away and the two of them followed. Still he stayed in the area. "What's this?" He kind of liked it.

"That's a Felt Bicycle Verza Speed 3. I think this might be the only color combination that we have and it's one of the bikes that's on sale." He liked Rick instantly. He'd gone straight to one of their more expensive bikes. "This bike is 56cm in size so we need to fit you to find the right size bike."

Kate flipped up the sales tag. "Castle, it's one thousand, nine hundred, ninety-nine dollars," she whispered in shock since she couldn't find her voice to yell at him. She abandoned that bike and started looking around. "What about this one? It's a bold color so you can find it again when you leave class." She thought it screamed his name.

She lifted up the sales tag. "It's only…" She coughed a little. "Four hundred dollars." The tag said $399.99. "You still need everything else." Kate wanted him to have a bike not just for class, but for their next date, but this trip was turning out to be expensive.

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Kate was almost grinning as she looked him over. She was taking a taxi back to her room while Rick was standing there next to his bike, all dressed up for the ride.

He now owned a Great Escape 2 in lime green, along with a gray and lime helmet, seat post rack for his books, front and rear light, reflective clips for his legs that doubled as pant leg clips to hold his blue jeans in place to keep them out of the gears' teeth, and a bike lock.

Kate couldn't resist. She stepped up to him wrapped her arms around his neck and got up on tiptoe to kiss him. "You look cute, Castle."

"CUTE! Puppies are cute. I'm…" Rick was ready to say, _"Ruggedly Handsome_ _,_ _"_ but just at the moment he was sure he looked like an idiot.

"My mistake. You look like a sexy campus rider." She gave him a clue to what she had planned. "Just don't lose this bike, Castle, you're going to need it for our date in a few days."

"A bike date!" Now Rick knew why Kate wanted him to get a bike now, like right now. "Where are we going? What are we doing?" He was full of questions.

"Ah-ah, Castle. That's for me to know and you to find out." Kate was enjoying this.

"I thought you hated surprises?" Rick raised an eyebrow at her, trying to look sexy in order to get her to talk.

"I hate _getting_ surprises, not _giving_ them," Kate explained. "Besides you're going to love it." Since it included beer and drinks, and they couldn't be arrested for drunk driving since they had bikes, it was perfect.

"Do **not** get yourself killed getting home, Castle, or I'll kill you," Kate threatened, teasing him. She raised up to kiss him again. "My taxi's here. See you in a few days."

Then she wrapped her arms around his neck again and ducked her head a little. "You're not sorry are you?" Was he mad that she'd forced a bike on him, even though she was a bit surprised at the amount of cash he was carrying around. He had spent hundreds on this bike and accessories.

"What!? No, of course not. I'm looking forward to it." Rick decided to tease her a little in return. "Is this a naked bike ride?"

Kate teased right back and gave him a quick kiss. "Not this time, Castle. Maybe another time." She brushed her lips over his. "I've really got to go now."

She waved from her taxi as it pulled away. "Boyfriend." Kate tried it on for size and decided that of all the boyfriends she had had before, this one was feeling like a keeper. "You'd better like this one, Dad."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hope 8**

"WHOA!" Kate swerved her bike and almost crashed into Rick who himself made a sudden maneuver and practically screamed that he was about to crash. All of that had Kate laughing her head off which caused her feet to slip off the pedals which only had her laughing even harder. It took her a moment to get her feet back where they belonged.

Rick stated the obvious. "You're drunk."

"I _**hic**_ am _not_ drunk. I'm jush in… inox… intox…" Kate couldn't get the word out. Her tongue was all wrapped up inside her mouth. She knew the word but it just wouldn't come out.

"WHOA, JERK FACE!" Kate suddenly swerved yet again. "Wash where you goin', ashole!" she yelled at the car that she almost slammed into. It didn't matter that it was parked on the side of the street with several others. It had gotten in her way.

o- [:] -o

Kate was on her third attempt at getting the lock to work after she had parked her bike outside of her dorm. "Why won' thish thing work?" she scowled. She'd done this countless times before and it hadn't been this hard.

Rick was standing next to her watching her every move. As well as trying to take a peek down the front of her shirt. They had done a lot of kissing, heavy kissing, and had progressed to what he would call third base pretty quickly. But that was where it had stopped. He was actually happy with that. He was really falling for her and didn't want to scare her off. She was drunk so possibly making it to the home plate might be easy. Just he didn't want to screw this up. He knelt down beside her. "Want me to try?"

"You thin yur bettah? FINE!" Kate handed her lock over to him and leaned onto his back to watch him as he quickly locked her bike into place.

"Huh, you getted lucky." Kate wasn't going to admit it, even to Rick.

"Two weeks?" Rick really wanted to keep seeing her.

"Two weeks… Yur turn…I thin." Her brain was foggy. "Why aren' you druk?" Hadn't he had a good time on their date? She was hurt that he hadn't liked her choice.

"It was great! I just didn't chug my beers like you did. I still don't know how you did that." What she'd done was impressive.

Kate leaned into him. "I can teach you. You jush have ta learn to open yur troat. It jush pours right down." She demonstrated using her empty hand and tipped her head back, almost falling over, only to have Rick catch her.

"WHOA!" Kate grabbed hold of him. "Why aren' you kishn' me? Don' you like kishn' me?" She was hurt and her face showed it. Her next complaint was silenced when Rick kissed her. "You tas' like beer," she whispered into his mouth. Then she tilted her head to look up at him and giggled.

"I certainly hope so, given how many drinks we had." Rick grinned in amusement.

"Two weeksh, Cashle." Kate pulled his head down so she could kiss him. "Yur a good kisher... Why aren' you tushin' me, Cashle?" She had felt his hands on her breasts before.

"Because you're drunk and we both have classes tomorrow," Rick replied matter-of-factly.

"OH, POO!" The idea of going up to her room and getting her roommate out of her room crossed her mind. Unfortunately she was suddenly starting to feel tired.

"Let's get you inside, Kate. We both need sleep." Rick escorted her into the dorm's lobby, pressed the button for the elevator, and waited. "Two weeks, Kate," he reminded her as the door slid open.

"Two weeksh, Cashle." Kate smiled crookedly and lifted up to kiss him before finding her way into the elevator. She stumbled into the car and blew Rick a kiss before the doors closed. She suddenly felt bereft. She missed him. Then the doors opened again and he was standing there. She instantly smiled. "You comin' to my room, Cashle?" She was ready to have sex with him there.

Grinning, Rick offered her some advice. "Press the button for your floor, Kate."

"What? Ooo!" She started giggling and reached out to press the button for her floor.

He gave her a little wave as the doors closed. "Good night, Kate."

Kate let her head rest against the elevator door. "Luv you, Cashle." She suddenly had an idea of going to her room, throwing Jen out, then going back down to sneak Rick up to her room so she could fuck his brains out. Her plan died the second she crashed still fully clothed onto her bed.

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They'd been texting back and forth for the last 2 weeks. She wanted to know what he was planning while he kept asking how she was feeling. Kate had to admit that getting drunk wasn't her greatest idea and there was no way she was going to tell him that she loved him. She wasn't actually sure she'd said it or if she'd meant it. She had been roaring drunk at the time, after all.

Right now she was locking her bike in front of the house he shared with two other guys. Rick had told her that he had a paper due so their date was going to have to be postponed for maybe a week or two. Kate, though, wasn't willing to go more than two weeks without seeing him so she'd talked him into giving her his address so she could come over and help him with his paper.

It looked like any other two-story house as she approached the front door. It was cold out today so she was bundled up a little. Boots, jeans, t-shirt under a sweater, and a nice warm jacket and gloves.

She had no sooner pressed the doorbell button when the door opened to reveal Rick standing there. "Hi." He looked very happy to see her and motioned for her to come inside. It really did look like a guy's house. Three guys to be precise. It was a bit barren and cold-looking for her taste. There wasn't even a single picture hanging on the wall which Kate took to be a good thing. Hands down, it beat having naked women hanging on the wall.

"This way, the bedrooms are upstairs. Living, dining, kitchen. The laundry's in the basement… not a basement you want to go down to. I think it's haunted. I can't begin to tell you how many socks I've lost down there." Rick tried to make a joke of it and he actually succeeded in getting her to giggle a little.

"Maybe it's aliens. …Instead of little green men it's little green mice," Kate joked.

"I think you missed your calling, Kate, you should be a writer." Rick was liking the banter. She was certainly in a good mood considering he'd canceled their date.

"No thanks." Her classes might be hard but it was what she wanted to do. Her dream was still intact.

Kate found his room to be pretty much like the downstairs. A little barren and bare. But at least he didn't have clothes scattered all over the place. It was small though. Rick waved his hand at the meager surroundings. "Be it ever so tiny… it's home for now."

Kate saw a twin bed much like hers, but devoid of anything remotely feminine. A small desk with a single chair, his laptop, and a printer. What she took to be a dirty clothes hamper and his open closet with his clothes inside it. Along with a dresser that likely had the rest of his clothes.

Since there were only two places to sit, Kate chose the bed to leave Rick his chair so he could use his laptop. "So what's this paper you need to write?" The sooner he was finished the sooner they could go out on their date.

Rick picked up a book and handed it to her. "We were given three authors to choose from. Pick one of their books and critique it. Write up a supposition about the main content, evaluate the main characters and given an opinion of how well he got his story across to the readers. This is the book I chose."

Kate looked at the book she was given. " _In the Balance_ by Harry Turtledove." She opened the book to read the inside of the front cover. "From Pearl Harbor to panzers rolling through Paris to the siege on Leningrad and the battle of Midway, war seethed across the planet as the flames of destruction rose hotter and hotter.

"And then suddenly, the real enemy came.

"The invaders seemed unstoppable, their technology far beyond human reach. And never before had men been more divided. For Jew to unite with Nazi, American with Japanese, and Russian with German was unthinkable.

"But the alternative was even worse. As the fate of the world hung in the balance, slowly, painfully, human kind took up the shocking challenge." Kate finished reading and looked at Rick.

"What's it about?" Kate had never heard of the book or the author before. It must be something she had never found interesting and she had to admit that what she had read didn't sound like something she would be interested in. However, if this book was coming between her and her date, then she would help him.

"It's just after Pearl Harbor when the planet's invaded by aliens from outer space. Basically the aliens are little lizards that have a bit better technology than we did at the time or even have now. But what they were expecting were knights in armor on horseback. Not World War II.

"They have the advantage of technology while we have superior numbers. Think P-51 Mustang versus a modern F-14 Tomcat. We have the P-51 while they have the F-14. Our Sherman Tank versus what we have today. They have the H-bomb while we haven't even started yet." Rick tried to break it down for her.

Kate thought she understood. "So it's about an alternate future with a _what-if_ thrown in to mess things up."

"Basically. He takes a few people from history like Chuck Yeager and gives them new meaning thanks to the invasion. The enemy's simply called _"The Race."_ Meaning they think of themselves as being the one race meant to rule the galaxy. Everyone else is meant to be conquered and made to conform to their way of thinking.

"But they have a small problem. It takes them hundreds of years to develop anything. For example, the plans for the F-14 Tomcat would have taken countless years to develop. After that, a study would've been done to determine the affects of its development on the planet. Then numerous years to build them and deploy them. Remember how long it took us to develop the A-bomb as part of Operation Manhattan? Well, make that last hundreds of years and that's the pace of development that they expect out of everyone they meet. Does that help?"

"Good god! Snails are faster than that… Arrogant little bastards, aren't they. I take it you've read this book?" He obviously knew more about it than she did.

"I'm a fast reader, plus I, ah…I remember most everything that I've ever read." Rick's face flushed. It was a gift; he knew that and was grateful for it. It wasn't like he had a picture of each page in his mind, but he could remember just about everything he'd read.

"Wish I had that kind of memory." Kate was now a little envious. "Okay, you start writing while I start reading. I want my date, Castle." She settled down on his bed to read while she let him type.

She didn't realize that she was shifting all over his bed. From sitting cross-legged, to lying on her stomach with his pillow under her. It was while his pillow was under her nose that she noticed something. His scent permeated the entire bed.

Kate was soon sneaking peeks at Castle before burying her nose into his pillow to surreptitiously sniff it. It was also giving her a new problem. She suddenly stood up. "Bathroom?"

"Down the hall, first door on your left. It's the only bathroom in the house unless you want to try the one in the haunted basement." Rick wasn't going to tell her that not only was it haunted but it was also gross, even to his way of thinking. He watched her hips sway as she hurried out of the room and he heard the bathroom door close.

Kate wasted no time in taking off her boots, pushing her blue jeans down and taking off her slightly soaked panties. Smelling his scent all this time was getting to her and… she was pretty sure she loved him.

She actually found a hair dryer and turned it on to dry out her panties. Wiping herself dry came next and then she reached a conclusion. She'd come prepared just in case since she was ready.

Kate put her panties back on and fished one of the condoms out of her pocket. Her boots were in one hand and her blue jeans draped over them with the condom in the other. Kate peeked out the bathroom door. Seeing no one, she slipped out of the bathroom, rushed back to Rick's room, and closed the door.

She was going to fuck his brains out because she couldn't wait any longer.

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Kate slowly opened her eyes and couldn't figure out why she was warm on one side and cool on the other. After focusing her eyes, all she saw was bare skin and it wasn't hers. She didn't quite understand at first until she shifted a leg and found that certain parts of her were sore from overuse.

That was when the beginning of a large smile started to form. Castle wasn't just a good fuck; he was an excellent lover. She could remember that at the start she had been the aggressor and while still partially clothed she'd begun stripping Rick. At first he'd protested. "I'm done waiting, Castle; make love to me." Then she showed him one of the condoms that she'd brought with her just in case.

She'd pushed him down onto the bed then knelt down so she could start getting him nice and hard. Then she'd climbed up and straddled him and lowered herself down onto him.

It turned out she'd been right. He wasn't overly long, but he was big in circumference. Enough that she was stretched almost to the point that it hurt. She quickly found that he was indeed a _Pocket Rocket._

She had also quickly found that he was perfect. Some how on each stroke he hit a spot that sent waves of pleasure through her. Once she'd adjusted to his size she had started bouncing up and down on his shaft. Her hands massaging her breasts were replaced by Rick's.

Once she had climaxed she crawled up his body until her still wet core was over his face and proceeded to ride his face while his tongue danced over her clit. After climaxing a second time she found herself on her back while Rick placed his face between her spread legs. It was then that he showed that he knew just what to do for a woman. After Kate climaxed twice more Rick had searched for one of his own condoms in his desk drawer.

Again she was amazed that his erection could find that hidden spot inside her with such ease. She had come twice just as Rick almost screamed out his own climax.

Kate looked down at his sleeping body and was rewarded with the sight of his flaccid cock just lying there. It seemed to be calling out to her. But she decided to study it for a moment.

He was maybe a bit smaller than she'd thought he'd be while soft, although she knew just what it would look like and do when it was hard. There was also only a hint of hair which told her that Rick worked at keeping it like that. It also meant that she could do what she was planning on doing again without any hairs getting in the way. She worked slowly and shifting her position, which wasn't easy given how small the bed was and the fact that she was practically sleeping on him.

The easiest method she found was to be above him with her core facing his head. It placed his soft cock right where she wanted it. She had only just started to play and lick the very tip. "Kate?" his rough morning voice murmured.

"Morning, Castle." Kate smiled at him before placing his cock in her mouth.

Kate didn't hear another word from Rick, however, he was moving a little but it wasn't down where she was, so what he was doing was perplexing. Then she felt it. His tongue laved her outer lips.

He had adjusted himself so that while she worked at getting him hard, he was ravishing her core with his tongue. "This is new," Kate commented with a grin before going back to licking his hardening cock.

Kate also found that it was hard to concentrate on what she was doing, especially when his tongue hit her clit. "Oh god!"

She had no choice but to stop when Rick paid extra attention to her clit. She was starting to come close to climaxing, so she dove back into her work.

"OH MY GOD, CASTLE, don't stop!" She was close, so very close. With a little effort she started flicking her tongue at the spot she had learned was Rick's sensitive area.

It only took a couple of licks from both of them before Kate spasmed her climax over Rick's face just as he exploded, hitting her face with his come. She'd never been a fan of any man's come. She just didn't like the taste and while she was curious still how Rick tasted, she wasn't yet ready to try.

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The shower had been a tight fit for the two of them and while Rick changed into clean clothes, Kate had to put on yesterday's clothes.

"We never did finish your paper last night." She had come over with the intention of helping him. Instead she'd initiated the next step of their relationship.

"And I'm not sorry one bit." Rick caressed her face and kissed her. Kate kissed him back and could feel tears starting. She loved him, truly loved him.

"When's it due? I can come back tonight and help you," she offered, since she hadn't actually helped him with it much.

"Day after tomorrow, so I have time to get something written." He would work on it today while Kate was gone.

"Great! Then I'll be back tonight to read it and make notes on it." Kate was happy that she hadn't screwed up getting his paper written. "Oh, and I need this." She stepped over to the book Rick was using to write his paper about. "I'll read this when I get back to my room. Can't help you if I don't know what its about." She hoped she could read it fast enough to help him.

"I can hardly wait." Rick wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again. "Just don't forget to bring another condom. I've got a very limited supply." He hadn't really planned ahead.

Kate began grinning and felt a blush starting. "I'll see what I can do." Her supply was limited, too. While she dreaded asking Jen if she had any, it was best if she did.

"And an overnight bag might be a good idea as well." Then Rick kissed her again.

She couldn't resist kissing him after he'd escorted her down to her bike. "See you tonight, Castle."

"I look forward to it and I still owe you that date." That was one more thing he had to work on. Where could they go next?


	9. Chapter 9

**Hope 9**

Kate had a broad smile on her face as she locked her bike into place outside of the house that Rick shared. She hadn't finished reading that book he had to write a paper about, but she'd read enough to at least help a little.

Amazingly Jen hadn't said a word when she asked if she had any spare condoms that she could have. Turned out Jen had an entire box of them. In turn she'd been forced to listen to her roommate complain about her inability to put them to use.

The second Kate had finished placing her last red mark on his paper, she'd started stripping and was soon helping Rick to strip. The sex had turned out to be just as mind-blowing as their first time.

So much so that she'd gone to the library in search of just how Rick did what he did with his cock when it was inside her. "I HAVE A G SPOT?!" Kate had clapped a hand over her mouth and had furtively looked around to see if anyone had been paying attention to her. As best she could figure, the head of Rick's circumcised cock stroked her G spot on each stroke in and out. "I'm so fucking your brains out, Castle." Apparently her G spot didn't get as sensitive as her clit. It meant she could have an almost limitless number of orgasms from her G spot. "Time to find out just how many orgasms I can have." Kate closed the book and put it back.

"Hi, is Castle here?" One of his roommates had answered the door. He should be here. His bike was out front and locked next to hers and he had just texted her a few minutes ago.

"Upstairs, I think." He backed out of the way and let her in. Kate could feel his eyes on her ass all the way. Not that she cared. Only Rick was ever going to see her naked ass so he could watch her walk away from him all he wanted.

She found his door open and closed it after stepping inside. "Hey, Castle." Kate didn't wait for him to get up. She walked over to him and bent down to kiss him, feeling him kiss her back. "What's up? Our next date isn't for another week. And how was your paper?" Kate had been curious about why he wanted to see her for a moment before their next date.

"I know it's early but we need to plan ahead if we want to go." Rick fished something out of his desk drawer and handed it to her. Curious, she took it and sat down on his bed. She read it through. The school was putting together bus trips for them to purchase. One was going to Vegas, the second was going to Seattle, and the third was going to Yellowstone. In each location there would be a hotel room that they would share with members of their sex. All meals were up to them. All the school was providing help with was transportation and a hotel room.

Kate recounted the offers. "Seattle, Yellowstone, and Vegas." Then it hit her. "Each of these is during our Christmas vacation."

"I know and that's why we need to talk. I don't know if you have plans with your father over Christmas and if you didn't, if you would be interested in one of these. Or if there was someplace else you wanted to go.

"Hawaii is a flight from here to LA and then out to Hawaii if you wanted to go someplace warm. We would need to pay for everything and arrange for everything ourselves. Or we could take our chances and go to Disneyland." Rick was betting that Disneyland would be packed and a poor choice.

"You're trying awfully hard to get me into a bikini there, Castle." Kate couldn't help but grin since she was more then willing to strip and sit on his bed naked not to mention have sex with him.

She watched Rick try to hide his smile. "Guilty as charged." He raised his head to look at her. "Only if you don't have plans with your dad, though." He didn't want her to cancel them if she did just to go someplace with him.

"I don't know; we haven't talked about it." Kate was being honest since she hadn't. "Dad lives in New York." It meant a long flight, though she would take it just to see him. She just wasn't going to enjoy the flight. Especially if Chicago got snowed in for some reason.

"Where were you thinking?" Kate wanted to know where he was interested in going, besides the obvious since he had brought it up.

"As much as I would like to see you in a bikini all day for as long as we're there…" Rick grinned and leered comically at her. Kate outright laughed at him and was happy that she'd brought a condom with her since she was only leaving here after getting laid. "I was thinking of Vegas." That was a bit of a shock to her. "Hear me out. We don't have to check into the room they arrange for us. We could get one of our own; I have the money for it." Actually Rick knew he had more than enough to even get them a Presidential Suite the entire time they were there. "We could do a little gambling, go see a show or two. One of those CIrc de so lay shows," he suggested.

Kate grinned then corrected him. "It's Cirque du Soleil. That would be great; I've heard their shows are gorgeous." She had never seen one of those. "We could see the one that is topless." She waited just to gauge his reaction.

She was pleasantly surprised at his response. Rick shrugged. "It's up to you; it's not high on my list. And I'm not sure we would even be able to tell sitting up in the balcony," he joked. "Also why I wanted to know – I need to start making reservations if we want a room and see a show.

"We could and most likely will rent a car to get around in. We could use it to drive to Phoenix if you want. It's only about 4 hours away. I'm not sure what's there, but we could go." Rick was doing his best to offer her options of what they could do.

"Vegas." Kate thought it over. Seattle was already out. Yellowstone sounded interesting. Going to Hawaii sounded even more interesting. It was just that she couldn't afford to go there.

"I want to see what room you've planned for us, Castle, and I want to see what the show costs us." She had every intention of helping to pay her share.

Kate saw his face light up and she grinned a little. "Vegas?" Rick was happy that she was accepting his first choice. "I'll start looking up costs but don't worry about that much. This is my idea."

She shook her head. "I'm helping to pay for this, Castle, so don't get any ideas. I'll talk to my dad and let you know." A Christmas in Vegas sounded like a lot of fun. It would come without snow, but at least it also meant she wasn't sleeping in the Chicago airport. She had a question for him. "Do you ski?" He shook his head. "I'll teach you." She'd just decided that one of their side trips was going to be a skiing trip.

Kate placed his paper on the bed, got up, and bent down to kiss him. She started smiling into the kiss when she felt Rick start unbuttoning her buttons. It told her that he wanted her. Yes, she'd started it with a kiss and she had every intention of having sex, but it felt good that he wanted her, too.

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Kate was perplexed. It was his turn to take them out on a date and Rick's text had told her to wear a swimsuit underneath her clothes. Except it was cold outside. Did he really want them to freeze to death? Rolling her eyes, she'd put on a bikini under her sweats and her jacket. Wearing her tennis shoes, she was downstairs waiting for him.

She was even more perplexed when she'd been told to invite all the girls on her floor to come with her. She had been told to get them to bring something to eat. Anything they wanted even if it needed to be cooked.

"You're lucky," the girl at the front desk suddenly said and Kate noticed that she was looking at her. "There aren't that many of us that go out on this many dates or do this." She was envious and it showed.

"Yeah, I think so." Kate wasn't willing to talk to her about it, but she was happy. She was rescued when Rick came into the lobby.

"Ready? Our van's waiting." Rick looked around, glancing at a lot of girls until his eyes landed on Kate then he started smiling. All of them were dressed much like he was. A coat to keep out the cold, sweats, and probably a swimsuit beneath that. Everyone had two bags. One was a purse and one held what they were bringing.

Kate wasn't bashful about their relationship anymore; she walked right up to him and kissed him. "What's going to happen, Castle?" He'd been secretive about this date. She really didn't understand why he had asked her to invite her entire floor on their date.

"Everyone got swimsuits and food?" Rick called out and saw a few of them lift a bag. "Then let's go. Some of us might have to stand for the trip." He had arranged for a van that could hold 18 people and it looked like he had more than that. It turned out that Rick had been right. All the seats were taken and the rest were standing all the way to the front where the yellow line on the floor was located.

"Castle?" Kate really wanted an explanation. Rick ignored her as he started the van and closed the door. Then he handed her a piece of paper.

"You're the navigator." Rick had printed out how to get there because he'd never actually been there. Kate took the paper and looked it over. It gave directions on how to get there but it didn't say where _there_ was. Sighing, she told him when to turn and which way to turn as she watched where they were going.

Finally Rick pulled into a parking lot. "Hamilton Recreation Center?" Kate still didn't get it. They were still going to freeze their asses off.

Rick parked where he could and opened the door. "Everyone wait here; I need to find someone first." Then he ran inside.

Kate could only shake her head when the girls started asking her questions yet again. They had all asked her what was going on when she had invited all of them. She still didn't really understand. How was this a date?

They were starting to wonder if he was going to come back when he came running back out from inside the building. "Everyone take one and put them on." Rick handed over slim pieces of bright green pieces of paper. They all knew what they were and pulled the tab off to expose the glue and put them around their wrist. "Okay, listen up!" he waited for everyone to go silent. "Don't lose these." Rick lifted up his own wrist with a band around it. "We have this place until 8:00 tonight. These will allow you access to the gym, the kitchen where we will be cooking our meals, and the indoor pool.

"If none of you have been here, the kitchen is rentable as is the gym. The pool has a number of slides. It also has lockers for you to use. Your wrist bands will get you access to all of this. Just be back here by 8:00. If for some reason you need to leave earlier than that, you're on your own." Rick felt bad about that, but he didn't know what to do about it.

"Everybody go through the door on the end. The kitchen is first where you'll drop off your food bags, next to the lockers, and then go where you want. We start cooking at 5:00 and I'll need some volunteers to help with that. Hopefully what you didn't bring I did." Mostly Rick had brought just meat, fruit, and some bread to make hamburgers with. Everything else had been left to the girls.

He stepped back outside and made sure all of the girls had bands on their wrist.

"I like him, Kate," Kate was told a number of times. "I'm so stealing him, Kate," she'd been told a couple of times. And only once, she'd been told, "You don't want him I'll be happy to take him off your hands."

Jen was last. "Don't lose this one, Kate, no matter what he does or says, ever. He's a keeper." Jen was envious in the extreme. "And my offer still stands, just tell me when not to sleep in our room." Jen hugged her and followed all of the other girls.

Kate was in tears when she left the van and found Rick just standing there waiting, hoping she wasn't going to hurt him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him for all she was worth. No guy had ever even dreamed of doing something like this. She had no idea how he had arranged for this or even how he could afford it, but she loved him for it.

Kate finally broke from the kiss and let her forehead rest against his. "I love you, Rick." She finally could get the words out and tell him instead of just telling herself.

Rick immediately began kissing her. "I love you too, Kate. Maybe more than you'll ever know," he whispered into her lips. Kate wiped away her tears then kissed him again since she couldn't figure out what to say. He was amazing!

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Kate and all of the girls were having a blast. She hadn't failed to notice that some of the girls had obviously told their boyfriends or had invited a boy to join them. She didn't mind and hoped that Rick didn't either. Besides only the girls had the wrist bands that were their color.

Kate had even taken a peek at the gym. It turned out to not be a weight room type gym, nor did it have a boxing ring. It was a basketball court that she had learned also doubled as an indoor volleyball court. Kate had convinced some of the girls and their boyfriends to join her and Rick in a quick game. Kate had had a blast and was laughing a lot and GOD but it felt good!

She had also noticed that all of the boys were watching the tits bouncing in bikini tops, including Rick. But only she ever got kissed by Rick and she was the only one he said I love you to. Now that they'd said it, Kate had found that it was so much easier to tell him and hear it back. Her heart just kept growing for him after each time.

They lost but she didn't care. She was in his arms and being told that she was loved.

Kate was just getting out of the pool and found that she missed seeing him. He wasn't there to hold her, kiss her, and tell her that he loved her. So she went in search of him.

She found him in the kitchen flipping burgers. Kate came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him from behind. At first he had jumped out of his skin and Kate giggled. "It's just me, Castle. You didn't tell me that you knew how to cook." One more thing to be impressed about.

"I hate to break it to you, but this isn't cooking. Grilling burgers is simple, cooking is not. Between the two of us you better know how to cook or we're going to be eating take-out." Rick joked.

Kate sucked in a breath. Had he just, in a round about manner, talked about them living together or… even being married? For a moment it scared the hell out of her. Then she thought about it. _"Mrs. Castle."_ Kate tried it on for size and found that she wasn't all that scared about it. Still she wasn't ready for it yet. Besides they had only just started making love to each other. _"Maybe one day."_ Still it gave Kate the courage she needed to ask him something.

"Castle… Do you want to come home with me for Thanksgiving? I haven't bought my ticket yet." This was a really big question for her to ask.

"Thanksgiving? In New York? With your dad?" Rick stopped paying attention to what he was doing and instantly went into panic mode.

"Yes, yes, and yes. It's just New York, Castle. Granted we have to stop in Chicago, but it's not snowing yet, and it's just my dad." Kate didn't see the big deal.

 _New York! …JUST HER DAD!_

"I… I mean, I…" Rick was scared out of his mind.

"What's wrong, Castle?" Kate could hear it in his voice and feel it since he had turned into a rock and had tensed up all his muscles. "It's just my dad, he's going to love you." Kate was sure he would. Hell, based on some of the supposed boyfriends she'd dragged home on a couple of occasions, Rick would blow his mind. Her dad would love him!

Rick started to laugh, a little hysteria evident in his voice. "Just your dad in New York."

"Castle?" She didn't get it. Her dad was nice, he would love him. She loved him, loved him a lot. "Dad's a heavy sleeper," Kate assured him if that was what he was worried about. They could make love to each other every night instead of once a week like they did now.

"Meet your dad in New York." Rick could tell Kate really wanted this. But New York was where he'd almost been killed. He hadn't jumped except to retrieve money when he needed it. He hadn't hit a bank in weeks, months really. He wasn't even really sure just how much money he still had. Thousands certainly, if not tens or possibly hundreds of thousands.

"New York, celebrate Thanksgiving with your dad." Rick still wasn't sure about this. "He's not going to shoot me is he?" Rick tried to make a joke out of it since he was still scared.

Hearing him trying to make a joke had Kate relaxing a little; she wrapped her arms around him again. "No, he's not going to shoot you. My dad's a nice guy. You'll see. So… is that a yes?" Kate wanted to hear him say yes.

"So long as your dad doesn't kill me, break my leg or arm, poison me with the food, or slam the door in my face… yeah, I'll go." He could never leave their house. But the airport had cameras, didn't it? Now did he use his passport that said Richard Rodgers or the one that said Richard Castle?

He hoped this wasn't going to be the last trip he ever made.

Rick could hear Kate giggling behind him and felt her lips on his back. "He'll love you almost as much as I do."

"Um… your burgers are burning, Castle."


	10. Chapter 10

**Hope 10**

Kate was so happy she was positively glowing. She had her arm looped around her boyfriend's arm as they walked through the airport to board their plane for New York. He'd agreed to come and they'd bought their tickets together so that they were on the same flight. He had even agreed to take the middle seat so that she could have her much coveted window seat so that they could sit together.

She was happy and in love and couldn't wait to show him off to her dad. Rick was going to blow his mind, she was sure of it.

Their only real problem was the over 2 hour delay in Chicago. This city's airport was the bane of Kate's existence, she was sure of it. Chicago was a big hub and lots of planes landed and took off there. However, it was getting into winter and one of these days some big storm was going to come rolling through and force her or both of them to camp out inside the airport.

She refused to let Chicago dampen her mood. She had even gone out to a local drug store and bought an entire box of condoms with the intention of using every last one of them on this little trip alone. _"I am so fucking your brains out Castle."_

Kate had learned about her G-spot, though she had yet to talk to Rick about it, to try and find out just how many orgasms she could have while they made love. Maybe this holiday weekend would be that time.

She planted Rick in a chair near their gate. "I'm going to get something to drink. Want anything?" She was buying. Rick just shook his head and watched Kate walk away headed for a small shop just a little ways back the way they had come.

He tried to disappear into his seat. "New York… her father." Maybe he was overthinking it, but he didn't think so. Kate had almost convinced him that her father wasn't near as bad as he thought he might be. Just that he was her dad and not his. Not that he had a dad. It had always been just him and his mother.

With a little work he had figured out that his mother's traveling play was in Kansas City at the moment and was working its way east, in a roundabout manner. He had even tried to talk to her, but she had been out at the time so he'd left a message. But he hadn't heard anything back yet. It had occurred to him that the lady he had talked with wouldn't even give his mother his message. It was enough that Rick pulled out his phone to call her again.

She answered on the second ring. "MOTHER!"

"RICHARD! Oh, thank god! I've been calling you for weeks and you didn't answer." Martha had started to lose her mind over just where her son was and what was happening in his life.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I had a little problem and then I lost my phone plus everything about your itinerary. It took me a little while to track down where you were." Rick really didn't want to go into details, especially while not sitting in an airport.

"Problem? What problem? Richard, please tell me it isn't because of your little ability. I told you to go easy with that." Martha was certain his jumping would get him into trouble one day.

"I can't really talk about it now, Mother; I'm in an airport waiting for a flight." Rick was willing to talk to his mother about it. All of it, but now wasn't a good time.

Martha really wanted information – right this minute! "You're flying? Where are you going? Better yet where are you now?"

"I'm in San Francisco. I'm attending Stanford so that I can learn how to write better. I even have a pen name to write under when I get published." Rick was sure she was never going to believe that considering the boarding schools she had sent him to had all kicked him out because of his escapades.

"SCHOOL! You went to college on purpose?!" Martha almost dropped the phone. "That's amazing, Richard. Please don't get kicked out of this one." She wanted so much for her son. "How are you paying for it?" She'd been putting money into his account while she worked. But she didn't think it was enough for him to get into Stanford.

"I'm fine, Mother; I have more than enough money." Martha knew nothing about his robbing banks.

She got back onto topic with his traveling. "And where are you going?"

"New York. I'm spending Thanksgiving with a friend." Rick felt Kate sit down in the seat next to him and he turned his head to see her looking at him with a _Who are you talking to?_ kind of look.

"Excellent, Richard. I was worried that you would be spending the holiday alone. I was willing to have you fly out to me, but it sounds like you are going to have a good time." Martha was quite pleased. "Who's your friend?" Her curiosity was now piqued. Personally she hoped it was a girl, but knowing her son, it could very well be another jumper.

"Her name is Kate, Mother." Rick watched Kate's eyes open wide after he said that.

"You're talking to your mother?" Kate placed a hand over her mouth, fearful that she had said that too loud.

"Is that her? Give her the phone." Martha really wanted to talk to this young lady. If her son was flying to New York with her during Thanksgiving, there was only one reason for that.

"Mother!" Rick wasn't a fan of having his mother being involved just yet.

"Just hand her the phone, Richard. I promise not to embarrass you." _MUCH!_ Martha didn't add that part but Rick heard it loud and clear. He also knew that he couldn't get out of it. If he hung up, she would just simply call him back using the number that showed up on her phone. Over and over again for as long as was necessary.

Rick held out the phone. "My mother wants to talk to you."

"ME?!" Kate squeaked, staring wide-eyed at the phone. His mother was on the other end. HIS MOTHER! She didn't see the irony over the situation. Rick was traveling with her to see her dad and here his mother wanting to talk to her. They'd barely told each other anything about their parents.

Rick placed the phone in Kate's hand and took her drink from her. "Her name is Martha."

Kate stared at the phone and screwed up her courage. "Hello, …Martha." Kate barely remembered the name Rick had just told her.

"Katherine!" Martha was almost sure her son was going to hang up on her. "My son tells me that the two of you are traveling to New York together."

"We're flying to my dad's to spend Thanksgiving with him." Kate kept it short. She needed to keep it short since there was a huge knot in her throat.

Once again Martha almost dropped her phone. Richard's young lady was dragging him to New York to see her father. Her mind started racing at the implications of this information. "Thanksgiving with your family. You must like my son a lot. He hasn't said a word about you." Martha was so going to hurt him when she got her hands on him.

"I love him." Kate had gotten used to saying it and saying it to his mother wasn't really all that hard. Kate leaned across to kiss Rick's cheek. "He's amazing." Kate's smile was now quite wide while she watched a nervous Rick watching her.

At first Martha was ready to ask, " _Are we talking about my son?_ _"_ Granted her son had shown an interest in girls, but she didn't know he'd found one that interested him enough to go meet the girl's father.

"Thanksgiving in New York." Martha started to try and think.

"You can come, too!" Kate suddenly blurted out. She had no idea where Martha was going to sleep. Hell, except for when they made love in her old room, Rick was going to have to sleep on the sleeper sofa in the living room.

Rick instantly reached for the phone only to have Kate turn away and then stand up so she could keep the phone. "Honest, you can join us. I'm sure Dad won't mind." Actually she knew her dad would mind. Although after she spent some time talking to him, he would change his mind. Kate would spend whatever time it took to change his mind.

"That's…That's nice of you, dear. Unfortunately we have a Thanksgiving show that we're putting on. I truly wish I could come." Right now Martha really wished she could. Thanksgiving with the young lady that her son had obviously fallen in love with, and at her father's house even.

"I see." Kate deflated. It would have been nice to have all of the family in one place. Then a thought hit her. "We're spending Christmas in Vegas. Maybe you could join us. Surely you don't have a show during Christmas." Kate watched as Rick's eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped. The look of shock on his face was priceless. "I insist, Martha. We have a room in New York-New York for three days. We even have tickets for one of those Cirque de Soleil shows. Maybe we could get you one, too." Kate turned her back on Rick who had gotten up and was reaching for the phone. "Just say yes, Martha." Kate yelped a little when he took the phone out of her hand.

Rick needed to do some damage control quick. "You don't have to come, Mother."

But Kate was enthralled by the idea and reached out to grasp Rick's hand that held the phone. She pulled while leaning in closer. "Yes, she does." Kate let go and couldn't help but smile at the look Rick was giving her.

His eye daggers weren't nearly as deadly as hers were.

"I'll call you right back, Richard." And Martha hung up. She had some work to do if she was going to join her son and this Katherine for Christmas. She also needed to do some Christmas shopping.

" **What were you thinking?** " Rick couldn't believe her. Inviting his mother to their Vegas Christmas trip.

"You're going to get to meet my dad; it only seems fair that I get to meet your mother." Kate thought it was simple. She was going to charm the socks off of Rick's mother.

Kate stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted up to give him a quick kiss. She decided to play dirty. "I thought you loved me," she pouted.

A man who was sitting near by who had heard everything put in his 2 cents. "She's got you there, son."

"See, even he thinks so." Kate mouthed _Thank you_ at him before turning her attention back to Rick. "She needs a room and plane ticket. I'll help pay for it." It would mean draining her bank account more than she liked, but she felt it was worth it. "You brought your laptop and the airport has WiFi," she wheedled. Kate started grinning. She had him; he just didn't know it yet.

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They were both bored out of their minds. Kate was sitting alone and Rick had gone off to find out what was going on. The departure board simply said **DELAYED** _._ They were both at least thankful that it didn't say **CANCELED**.

She saw him walking toward her and he had her entire attention. "And?" Kate questioned after watching him drop into the seat next to her. But his body language did not convey good news.

"Our plane hasn't even left the airport where it's coming from yet, and they don't know just when it will. Or if it will." Rick looked at her with his best _Please don't hit me_ look he could give her.

"SWELL!" Kate fell back into her seat then chose to lean up against Rick. She needed some support. At least she wasn't traveling alone this time.

Suddenly Rick stood up and held out his hand. "Come on." Kate took his hand and let him pull her out of her seat.

"Where are we going?" If for some reason their plane was able to take off, it would take it about 3 hours to get there, so they couldn't really go far.

"I don't know about you, but I could use a drink." Rick pulled her down the corridor and felt Kate speed up to walk next to him. She was even smiling for a change.

Rick knew he could get both of them there even with their carry-on bags. It was just that she didn't know anything about his ability. Actually he knew he would have to explain it and even prove it to her eventually. It was something he was dreading. What if she freaked out and never wanted anything to do with him again?

He cleared his throat and got the bartender's attention. "Scotch on the rocks, please."

"Vodka, lots and lots of vodka," Kate added.

"I thought you were a tequila girl." She'd only talked about that and her choice of beer.

"When I'm in a good mood, yes. Right now I want something to help me forget," Kate explained.

"You know if they cancel our flight because it's their fault, they have to get us a hotel room." Rick arched his eyebrows a couple of times.

It worked since Kate began chuckling. "I promise to be sober enough." She leaned over to give him a quick kiss.

It took Rick two drinks. "So what happened to your mother? You only ever talk about your dad." He'd been curious for weeks, but was willing to let Kate tell him when she was ready. Maybe she was ready.

"Mom left us when I was five. One day she was there, then she was gone and never came back. Dad…doesn't talk about it much. I don't really remember her anymore." Kate sounded hurt to him.

"I'm sorry; that must have been painful. Especially for your dad." After all, he'd dated her, fallen in love and married her, and then had a child with her.

"Dad says as little as possible about her. He just changes the subject every time I bring it up. I think I understand how he feels now. I didn't really get it when I was a kid." Kate sipped her drink.

"What about you? I got to talk to your mother; where's your dad?" Kate didn't want to talk about her mom anymore.

"I never met my dad. Mother tells me that they had one night together and she never saw him again. When I was little I think she missed him, now I'm not so sure. Can't really miss what you never had." Rick suddenly wondered which of them had it better.

"One night stand." Kate understood. She'd had a few of those. All of them had been because that was what she wanted at the time. Today she had Rick and wanted to keep him. She loved him.

"Did she ever try to find him?" Kate was curious and she saw Rick shake his head.

"Mother's about as tight-lipped as your dad. She only told me what she thought I needed to know and that was all." Rick took more than a sip. "Since neither of us know much, I always imagined that he was a CIA operative. Some super spy. That or the best firefighter on Earth." Then he started chuckling. "Or an alien from another planet." His father being an alien helped him to understand why he could do what he did. It answered a number of questions.

Kate wet her fingers and stroked and pinched his cheek. She grinned as she teased him. "I don't see any green, Castle."

"You could think that your mother is an Amazon warrior who was recalled home and never got to leave again," Rick suggested, hiding his grin by sipping his drink.

Kate almost spat out the sip of her drink. "Wonder Woman?! How much have you had to drink?" She was sure he was either drunk or had lost his mind.

He defended his imagination. "You forget, Kate, I want to be a writer."

"And you're not going to be a successful one if you keep thinking like that." Kate wasn't a fan of his idea.

Rick faked pouting and made a face. "I thought you loved me."

"I love you a lot, Castle, but a little less if that's the best you can come up with," Kate retorted; she really did love him. Loved him a lot actually.

"Challenge accepted, Katherine Beckett." Even if he didn't have to write another paper for his class he was going to come up with a small short story that explained her mother's disappearance.

"Just so long as it doesn't show up on bookshelves." Kate gave him fair warning. "I don't want my family being on display for everyone. My private life is just that, private."

"Duly noted. However, that isn't going to stop me from writing something for you to read." Rick lifted up his drink. "Deal?"

Kate only thought about it for a second. "Deal." She clinked her glass against his then took a drink, feeling the vodka slip smoothly down her throat.

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Totally naked, Kate came out of the bathroom to find Rick sitting up against the headboard equally naked. She crawled onto the bed, straddled his outstretched legs, and held up the condom. "Make love to me, Castle." She leaned in to kiss him. "I love you." Kate felt Rick sit up straighter and then she found herself going backward until he was on top.

"I love you too, Kate. Prepare to scream yourself hoarse." Rick smiled lovingly before kissing her. Then he proceeded to kiss his way down her body so he could see just how wet she really was already.

Only he didn't stay there. Kate suddenly found Rick sucking on her toes. While this was new and she was starting to like the way he massaged her foot and sucked on her toes – mostly her big toe – it wasn't what she wanted.

Finally she felt him kiss his way up her leg and then he was sucking on her inner thigh. "OH GOD, PLEASE, CASTLE." Kate wanted, no _needed_ more than this.

Suddenly she felt him sucking on her other toes, followed by kissing and sucking his way up her other leg. Then he blew on her soaking wet and hot core. "CASTLE! PLEASE." Kate took hold of his hair and pressed his face into her core. "Eat me, Castle."

Rick, though, started humming. While the vibrations did something interesting and caused her to moan, it wasn't what she wanted.

"RICK, PLEASE… EAT MY PUSSY. MAKE ME COME!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Hope 11**

Kate was leading Rick down the concourse headed for the security area. She had hold of his hand and was smiling wide even though Rick wasn't. It was almost time to show off her boyfriend to her dad who she was sure was going to love him.

Rick, for his part, was still quaking in his boots so to speak though he was starting to feel better about meeting Kate's dad. Her enthusiasm and conviction that her dad was going to love him was finally starting to rub off. It didn't hurt that Kate was smiling every time she turned to look at him.

"DAD!" Kate finally let go of Rick so she could hug her dad.

"Katie!" Jim hugged her back. The almost entire day delay of her getting here had taxed his patience.

Kate let go of him. "Dad, this is Rick. Rick this is my dad, Jim." Kate suddenly realized she'd never told Rick his name.

"Rick." Jim held out his hand and then shook Rick's hand.

Rick tried to smile at him, but it wasn't easy. "Mr. Beckett."

"Just call me Jim, it's easier on all of us. So… how was your layover in Chicago?" Jim hadn't talked to them since finding out their flight had been ultimately canceled.

"It was fine, Dad, promise." Kate wanted out of the airport. It was going to be good to see New York again. If she was honest with herself she had missed it.

"They gave us a hotel room as compensation," Rick replied.

Jim glared at his daughter. "Just one room?"

Rick shrugged. "As if any airline was going to do more." Rick counted his stars that they had even gotten anything in compensation.

"DAD! Rick was perfect, so relax. Besides he's my boyfriend." Actually Rick had been almost more than perfect. Kate had counted this time and was sure that she'd had seven orgasms before they both got tired and ended up falling asleep, naked in each others arms. Seven orgasms had been a new record and Kate seriously wondered if she was capable of having more. Maybe another day she would talk Rick into trying to give her as many as he could.

Jim looked Rick over again and decided that he was a vast improvement over all of her other boyfriends. Jim questioned them to find out if they needed to wait at the baggage carousel. "Any other bags?"

Rick responded for both of them. "Just what we're carrying, sir… uh, Jim," he added after the fact.

"Then let's go." Jim wrapped his arm around Kate and let Rick carry both of the bags.

"How's school? Sure you still want to be a lawyer?" Jim knew just what it took to be a lawyer.

"Classes are hard and, yes, I'm still sure. Plus Rick has been helping me a little." Kate was doing what Rick was letting her do. Read what she was writing before handing it in. She was pretty sure he was the reason she was getting at least one of the grades she was getting. Her papers were perfect thanks to him.

"And you, Rick, what are you majoring in?" Jim turned his head to look behind him.

"Rick's a writer, Dad, and he's pretty good," Kate quickly answered.

"I'm majoring in creative writing with a minor in English. And Kate's being generous." Rick wasn't sure he was that great yet.

"He's being modest. You should see some of the stuff he dreams up. He's very imaginative and talented." Kate looked at him and smiled. She was only too willing to overlook that some of his imaginative ideas were not to her taste. But it was true that her taste didn't follow the public. A lot of books she liked to read weren't that popular.

"You got a new car!" Kate looked it over, unsure it was his.

"Yeah, I decided that I wanted a car that had a warranty. It even has that new car smell still." Jim smiled as he opened the trunk to allow Rick to put their bags inside.

Kate didn't recognize the route he was taking. She knew where she was, just not where he was going. "Have you moved too?"

"No, same old place. There's a lot of construction going on around me right now. For once I'm glad I'm a heavy sleeper. The noise they're making is unbelievable. It seems the only thing they aren't doing is blasting." Jim rolled his eyes then added, "You two might want ear plugs." He missed seeing Kate turn to look in the back seat and smile at Rick. It was her telling Rick that she was right about her dad being a heavy sleeper.

Kate turned back around to watch where they were going. She had plans on making love to Rick every day they were here. Get Rick to sneak into her room and fuck his brains out.

Rick asked his first question as Jim drove. "What type of lawyer are you? I mean, do you own your own business or are you part of a law firm?"

"The office that I'm a part of works mostly with corporations. We have a number of clients. It might be a bit boring, but it pays well. Occasionally there's a challenge, but mostly it's simple work." Jim was actually glad that none of his clients got into much trouble. Though he did work hard at making sure they _didn't_ get into trouble.

"Here we are. No place like home." Jim found a place and parked on the street.

"You know where your room is, Katie. Rick, the sofa pulls out into a bed. It might not be the most comfortable bed, but it's all I've got." Jim felt a little bad about that. Just that it had always been just him and his daughter. "Let me find some sheets, a blanket, and a pillow and you'll be all set, Rick." Jim left them in the living room and headed for his bedroom to search.

"See Castle, my dad's nice. He hasn't shot you." Kate stepped in close and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It's still early," Rick countered nervously only to have Kate laugh a little before she kissed him.

"Find your laptop and let him read what you've written. His taste is a little more your style." Kate thought he might actually like Rick's story about the perfect murder.

"Here we are." Jim announced himself but didn't miss seeing Kate take her arms down from around Rick's neck. It told him a lot.

"I've been procrastinating so I need to go to the store or we're going to starve."

"You don't have the turkey yet, Dad?!" Kate was shocked. It was going to take forever to thaw the bird. "I guess we're having ham." She liked both but had been looking forward to a traditional turkey.

"I know a trick if you have a crock pot. It'll have to be a pretty small turkey, but it also means we won't be eating turkey for days if not weeks." Rick smiled crookedly, trying to make a joke out of it.

"A turkey in a crock pot?" Jim had never heard of such a thing.

"Something my mother taught me. Mother isn't much of a cook, but she learned a lot of recipes that involved the use of a crock pot. Since there were only the two of us it also meant we didn't have much in the way of leftovers." Rick had learned to be thankful for that.

"What happened to your father? If I may ask." Jim was curious. He needed to learn about this boy that his daughter had brought home with her.

"I don't know who my father is. It's always been just my mom and me." Rick hoped he understood.

"Something we have in common, Dad." Kate meant them and her mother.

"So where's your mother? Is she here in New York?"

"Mother's an actress. Her play is presently in Kansas City. We do have a place here in New York. It's a little place over in the Bronx."

"Well I'm going to go shopping and let you two unpack. I'll see if I can find a turkey that will fit in a crock pot. That or we're having ham. No promises." Jim wasn't willing to commit to what he was going to find.

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Jim tried to be quiet and catch them at something. Kissing heavily on his sofa came to mind. He wanted an excuse to come down on Rick's head. To make sure he knew just how much Katie meant to him and to find out just what were Rick's intentions toward her. If it was all about sex, he was going to castrate him.

Granted, while Kate and Rick had done a little heavy petting on said sofa, Kate still had enough of her brain functioning to get them to stop before she let Rick take her.

Right now Kate was searching the kitchen for a snack since neither of them had stopped for breakfast. While lunch was coming up soon, she was hungry. Plus she was going to need all the energy she could get. Rick was so going to fuck her tonight.

For his part, Rick was in the bathroom willing his erection to go down. Kate had ground her hand all over him until he was about ready to explode. Of course, he'd retaliated by sliding his hand down the inside of her pants and slipping a finger inside of her.

Hearing, "Hi, Dad!" told him that her father was back. Still he had a problem to deal with before he could join them.

Rick had joined them just in time to hear, "We're having ham for Thanksgiving. You wouldn't believe the size of the turkeys that were left. And they were all still frozen," Jim announced.

"That's okay, Dad, ham's fine. What about all the side dishes?" Ham couldn't be the only thing they were eating.

Kate watched her dad place a container that had already made stuffing on the counter. All that was needed was to heat it up in the oven. Then there was a similar container from the deli that was full of au gratin potatoes. And another that had macaroni salad in it. Followed by yet another brimming with green beans. She was used to it since neither of them knew how to cook. She'd actually grown up on take-out. It was just that Rick was here and she wanted a real Thanksgiving dinner as a family.

"This is nice, Dad, but…" Kate stopped when she saw her dad pull out a bag of marshmallows, a bag of flaked coconut, some tangerines, and lastly, a container of whipped topping. "Ambrosia Salad." She beamed and kissed his cheek.

"It doesn't require any cooking, just some mixing of ingredients." Jim thought it was brilliant. Besides he'd made it before.

"What about…" Kate stopped talking when Jim placed a tube of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls next to all the other items. "Hopefully we won't burn them this time." Jim laughed at himself. He wasn't a gourmet chief and they both knew it. Kate, though, smiled widely and hugged him.

"I love you, Dad." She suddenly hoped she never had to choose between the two men in her life. She loved both of them so very much.

Rick announced his arrival. "Ham."

"Yep, you should have seen the turkeys that they had. The smallest was 25 pounds. We would be eating left over turkey for weeks. Well… I would anyway." Kate and Rick would be going back to school leaving him to deal with all the leftovers. Not that there would be much in the way of leftovers. One of the things about not cooking, was that he didn't have much in the way of Tupperware either.

"Oh, and I brought home this." Jim pulled out the last item and placed it on the counter.

Kate picked it up and studied it. Krusteaz Pumpkin Spice Quick Bread Mix. "You have a bread machine?" Just when had her dad gotten one of those?

"It's new; it was a gift." Suddenly Kate saw her dad starting to look nervous. She was willing to overlook the fact that the bread was something they'd never had before, but she had to wonder who would have given a bread machine to her dad and why. He was hiding something and she wanted to know what it was. "What's going on?" Her dad didn't cook. Granted a bread machine still wasn't cooking, but it was close enough. Kate set the box down on the counter and glared at her dad. He was going to talk or he was never leaving this kitchen.

"I, um…" Jim had been dreading this part. "There's going to be four of us tomorrow for Thanksgiving." Jim scrunched up his face and hoped his daughter didn't hit him.

"Four!" How in the world could there be four?

"I'm just going to go over there." Rick randomly pointed in a direction.

Kate stopped him in his tracks. "You move and you die, Castle." She glared at her father. "What's going on?" She wanted answers and wanted them _now._

"I… I may have invited someone over to join us." Jim swallowed hard, awaiting his daughter's wrath.

"You invited someone? Who? Dad…" He wasn't talking fast enough.

"Her name is Veronica. And she's nice. Plus she knows how to cook." Jim tried to offer a bright spot to this.

"Veronica." Kate repeated her name until a light bulb went on over her head. "You have a girlfriend! And you're only just now telling me about her?" Kate was so ready to hurt him.

Jim retreated back a step. "She's a good woman, Katie, you'll like her. She knows all about you. Well almost everything." He turned to look at Rick.

Kate took a quick peek at Rick before turning her daggers back at her father. It was true, she'd sprung Rick on her dad. She was convinced that her dad would love him. It was just she hadn't ever thought about her dad finding someone. AND NOT EVEN TELLING HER ABOUT HER!

"Start talking. Who is she and where did you meet her? Seriously, Dad? You wait till Thanksgiving to tell me?" Kate didn't know why she was mad, she just was. It wasn't like she wanted her dad to be unhappy, because she didn't. But he could have told her before now!

"Really, Katie? A surprise?" Jim turned to look at Rick who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was.

"Rick's different. I love him!"

"And you don't think that I love Veronica?" Why else would he have invited her to meet his daughter.

"You love her?" Kate instantly calmed down. Her dad had finally found someone! Why wasn't she happy for him? She should be happy for him. He was here alone. "Who is she and where did you meet her?" she asked far more softly. If this woman was important to her dad, she needed to learn more about her.

Rick added his 2 cents. "Veronica in Latin means _True Image or Honest Image."_ Kate threw eye daggers at him. "Just saying."

Jim suddenly decided he liked Rick. "Give her a chance, Katie; she's sweet and is looking forward to meeting you. She'll be here for breakfast tomorrow. She's even going to help us cook all this." Jim had insisted on her not taking over the kitchen. He wanted his daughter to like her and not feel like she was taking over. He resigned himself and succumbed to the daggers his daughter was still firing his way.

"Her name is Veronica Miracle. She's an ophthalmologist and glaucoma specialist in New Jersey where she has an office. She's pretty good at her job, too." Jim was proud of her.

"An eye specialist." Kate wasn't sure what she had been expecting but that wasn't it. "And where did you two meet?"

"She's a client for our office. …Not one of mine," Jim hastily added. "It took me weeks of running into her either accidentally or on purpose before I asked her out. I'm still amazed she said yes." She was intelligent, gorgeous, and kind. She was so far above him, far more lovely than he deserved. He'd been convinced that she was going to say no. But she hadn't. She'd even pressed him to invite her over for Thanksgiving so she could meet his daughter.

"Veronica is half Japanese. Her mother is from Osaka. She graduated from University of Mellbourne. She's a widow." Jim took a deep breath. "And I care about her…a lot. Please give her a chance, Katie." He really wanted these two to get along.

"She cooks," Rick commented helpfully. Plus Jim hadn't shot him yet and it looked like he wasn't going to poison him with the food or remove an arm or a leg. Rick did his best to look at Kate. _"You sprung me on your dad. Give his girl a chance."_

"Fine, I'll give this Veronica a chance to impress me. For you, Dad." She did want her dad happy and if this Veronica did that, she could give her a shot.

"Thanks, Katie." Jim hugged her. "She'll be here a little after 8:00 tomorrow morning. She said she was bringing everything with her." He meant fixings for breakfast.

"How long have you known her?" If they'd been together before she left for college she was going to hurt him.

"Not counting the weeks it took me to ask her out, about 3 months, give or take." Jim sucked at keeping track of anniversaries. He'd already explained that to Veronica. She had simply laughed at him and then kissed him.

"A hot breakfast tomorrow." Rick started smiling and waggled his eyebrows at Kate a couple of times.

Kate relaxed a little and actually gave a small smile. _"This had better be the best breakfast I've ever had."_


	12. Chapter 12

**Hope 12**

Kate had been staring at her clock for what felt like days but had only been a couple of hours.

Jim had gone to bed leaving the kids up to watch TV or a movie like they had been doing when he had left them. Her clock finally reached 1:00 am. Throwing off the covers, Kate padded over to her door and listened. Hearing nothing, she cracked the door open to look up and down the hallway. She didn't really think her dad would be sitting outside of her room, but she **was** worried a little. The revelation that her dad was seeing someone after all these years was still on her mind.

Kate tiptoed out into the living room to find Rick stretched out on the sleeper sofa wearing nothing but his boxers; he had kicked the covers off in his sleep. She stood there for a few moments watching him sleep. It was creepy she knew, but she liked watching him. He was making little faces while he slept that she found endearing. She also noticed that he had an erection. That little guy was what had gotten her out there in the first place. She knew she should wake him first and drag him back to her room, but she couldn't resist.

She knelt down next to the bed and worked at slowly pulling his boxers down just far enough to expose his erect cock. Entranced, she stared at it. She didn't really understand her fascination with it but she couldn't help herself. As she watched it even twitched of its own accord. She loved him and she loved what his Pocket Rocket of a cock could do inside her. It was only after she saw that her hand was wrapped around him did she realize that her hand had moved of its own volition. Since she had him in her hand she leaned in to give its head a quick lick which got it to twitch and Rick moved a little. That had her smiling wide before she gave his cock a nice long lick from base to tip.

She loved having control over their lovemaking. Yes, Rick had shown that he wanted her and had initiated sex a few times, however Kate was learning that her sex drive was higher than his. But he had never turned her down nor had he failed to keep up with her. He was even getting better at not coming inside her too soon. He really was an excellent lover and perfect for her. She knew some girls that had expressed that if he wasn't nine inches minimum she wasn't going to have anything to do with him. That girl didn't know what she was missing.

She gave his cock one more nice long lick. Rick's rough and still sleepy voice sounded. "Kate?"

"Hi, Castle." Kate smiled up at him before she took his cock's head in her mouth and did her best to swirl her tongue around it. She let it pop out of her mouth. "Come on, babe, up and make love to me." She got up, reached out to take his hand, and started pulling. Kate was grinning while she moved her hand from his then wrapped it around his cock, leading him to her room. She closed the door behind them.

Rick looked around in the dark and didn't see quite what he was expecting. "I was expecting a lot of pink." His comment had Kate giggling.

"It hasn't been pink since I was five, I think." Kate lifted up to kiss him then took hold of his cock again and guided him over to her bed. She sat down on her bed which put his cock at the perfect level.

Rick sucked in a breath as Kate's talented tongue started swirling around his cock's head. "Isn't your dad's room just the other side of this wall?" He glanced at the wall in question.

Kate let his cock pop out of her mouth and moved back against the wall her bed was up against. She pushed her ass forward a little and spread her legs wide. "Eat me, Castle, please." Rick really didn't need to be asked. He was more than willing to lick her pussy until she climaxed a couple of times.

She was running her fingers through his hair. Something she loved to do while she held his head in place. "Put two fingers inside me, Castle… That's the spot right there." Kate squeezed her eyes closed and pushed her ass forward a little more. His fingers had found her G-spot.

"Yes, just like that, Castle. Don't stop, don't ever stop." She was close to her first climax. Kate bit her lower lip and stifled her orgasm. "Don't stop, Castle, please don't stop." Her moans started getting louder as her second orgasm began approaching.

She could barely keep herself from screaming as Rick brought her to her second orgasm. Kate didn't say a thing, though Rick had heard her and just kept kissing, licking, and stroking her G-spot. Her third orgasm crashed over her and she grabbed her pillow to stifle her scream.

Kate let go of her pillow and grabbed Rick's head and pressed it into her pussy. "OH GOD, OH GOD!" She bit her finger to keep from screaming during her next orgasm.

He stopped stroking her G-spot. Kate missed his fingers instantly and was all set to complain when his tongue started dancing on her clit. "OH MY GOD!" Then he did something he had never done before. She was so close to her next orgasm as he kept flicking her clit with his tongue when suddenly Rick pushed a finger into her ass.

" **OH, GOD! RICK!** "Kate had her next orgasm and couldn't help but scream out his name.

She was just starting to calm down from that orgasm when suddenly Rick put two fingers inside her again and started stroking her G-spot once more.

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Kate blearily opened her eyes and saw that she was in her old room. It took a moment before her brain could process that she was home for Thanksgiving. And that she'd brought Rick with her.

She stretched out and tried to get her muscles to start working. That was when she found that a few of her muscles were fighting back, much to her consternation. Kate looked around. "Where's Castle?" They'd been making love last night. Okay, maybe that wasn't perfectly correct. The last thing she remembered was Rick had his head planted firmly between her legs. As much as she loved having him inside her, he was damn good at eating her pussy and she loved having him do it to her.

"Castle?" Just where was he? Kate got out of bed and finally noticed that she was still naked. A pair of shorts and a t-shirt fixed all that and she went out of her room in search of her lover.

The second her door opened the smell of coffee hit her and she followed her nose. She found Rick in the kitchen just pouring a cup of coffee. He even had her vanilla creamer out on the counter. Kate walked around the breakfast bar and wrapped her arms around him from behind and pressed her nose into his t-shirt. She absolutely loved his scent. "Morning, Castle." She kissed his back. "You weren't there when I woke up." She wanted to know why. She wasn't mad but she liked waking up in his arms.

"You passed out so I went to bed and got up early to make coffee before we started trading places in the only shower," Rick told her.

Kate's head snapped up. "I **what**?" Had she heard him right?

"You screamed out my name and then you passed out. I put you to bed then left in case your dad woke up and came looking," he whispered to her then turned around to hand her a cup of coffee. Kate took the cup and just stared at him. _She had passed out during sex?_ That had never happened before. Her brain couldn't really remember, but just how many orgasms had she had?

"I passed out?" Kate tried to think that through. "I'm sorry, Rick, I didn't do anything for you." She suddenly felt bad about that. It meant she had left him with an erection and hadn't taken care of him. She set cup of coffee on the counter and reached down to start stroking him. "I can take care of you now," she murmured, slipping a finger inside his waistband.

"And the smell of coffee might wake your dad," Rick warned.

"Then I'll just have to be fast." Kate grinned at him as she added another finger and yanked his boxers down as she knelt down. He was soft and she placed his flaccid cock in her mouth and started using her tongue to get him hard.

"God, Kate!" Rick whispered that she shouldn't be doing this. Certainly not in the middle of the kitchen.

"Less noise, Castle, and let me work." Kate was suddenly thrilled at the risk she was taking. Yes, her dad might catch her going down on her boyfriend, but that was part of the thrill.

Kate soon had him hard and was just starting to stroke his sensitive spot when suddenly he climaxed into her mouth. She knew that spot was sensitive but she had underestimated just how sensitive. She couldn't help but taste him. He didn't taste amazing and yet she didn't hate his taste either. It was warm and creamy and maybe had just a hint of salt. Other than that he was almost tasteless. It was that realization that had her flicking her tongue over his sensitive spot once again.

Her tongue flicked it as fast as she could and was rewarded with him orgasming yet again and filling her mouth with his come. It tasted the same this time. Warm, creamy, and just a touch salty. Kate licked him clean and then stood up and on purpose licked her lips clean before kissing him.

A sudden creak of a floor board and Kate stepped back, grabbing her cup of coffee and sipping it while still black. She was grinning as she watched Rick pull his boxers up.

"I smell coffee," Jim rumbled as he came into view.

"Morning, Dad." Kate was still hiding her smile behind her cup of black coffee.

"Cream…" She snorted since her coffee was chasing some cream. "Sugar, vanilla maybe," Rick asked him. He was doing his best to cover that he had just climaxed twice in the middle of Kate's father's kitchen.

Kate reached for the vanilla creamer while doing her best not to giggle. "I'm going to go take a shower. I promise not to use up all the hot water." She smiled wickedly at Rick from behind her dad.

"How was the sofa?" Jim inquired, accepting his coffee and rejecting anything else.

"A little lumpy to be honest. Nothing a roll of foam can't fix." Rick was being truthful.

"Sorry, I didn't buy it with my daughter bringing home her boyfriend in mind. Or any boy for that matter." Jim had got a sleeper simply because it sounded like a good idea.

"It's fine really. I can find something later. I only have to use it a couple more times." This trip to Kate's home was a quick one before they had classes again.

"So how did you two meet?" Jim decided that since neither he nor Rick could use the shower he might as well start grilling his daughter's boyfriend.

Rick decided on the truth. "We met each other by accident on campus. We were both finding that we had a very early morning class and we were both bemoaning it. Because of our classes we only go out on dates every 2 weeks. The most recent one was to a recreation center. It had an indoor pool with a couple of slides, basketball court that we played a quick game of volleyball on and a kitchen. It was fun." He'd loved seeing Kate in a bikini, even if he could see her naked. There was just something about her being in a bikini where other guys could see her but do nothing. Where he could walk right up to her and kiss her while she kissed him back. She had even goosed him once while they were there. She had laughed and jogged away from him. It had him chasing her down listening to her squeal and run faster.

Jim came to the point. "This is where I ask you your intentions toward my daughter."

Rick answered quickly. "I love her more than I've ever loved anyone. If you're asking whether I intend on marrying her, I promise you'll be the first to know." Rick had been brought up by his mother to be a little old fashioned.

"So you don't intend to elope with my daughter?" Jim had every intention of walking his daughter down the aisle after he had gotten to know the man she had chosen to spend her life with.

"No, sir. I'm well aware that women dream about having the wedding of their dreams. It's only supposed to be once so it has to be perfect." Rick hoped that Kate's wedding was perfect for her. She deserved to be happy.

Jim had become quiet while he considered what Rick had told him and what woke him in the middle of the night. "Just remember: you hurt her and you'll answer to me." He decided that it was too late to stop his daughter from falling in love with this man. If she hadn't she wouldn't have brought him home with her.

"Oh no, sir. That would be the very last thing I would ever want to do." Once again he worried about how he was going to tell Kate about his ability.

"Good." Jim went back to sipping his coffee.

Kate came walking into the living room wearing the same shorts and t-shirt. She failed to notice that the cool air of the room had made her nipples hard and were poking out the material. "Next."

"Go ahead, sir. This is your home, I'll take the risk." Rick meant meaning the risk of taking a cold water shower.

Kate wrapped her arms around his neck after her dad was gone and kissed him. "Ready for round three?" she teased, reaching down to grab his crotch. Her dad had just left after giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"You are an evil woman, Kate Beckett." Rick moved in closer and gave her a kiss.

"I'm just getting warmed up, Castle. You just wait and see." Kate grinned wide and then kissed him again followed by kneeling down and quickly pulling out his cock to give it the tongue lashing it richly deserved. She may have been giving her boyfriend a blowjob but her ears were tuned to any sound the house made that would alert her that her dad had finished his shower.

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Kate was too full and way too tired, however she'd gotten up and dragged Rick into her bedroom and just lay next to him.

"Veronica was nice." Rick wanted to know what she thought. "I noticed you drilled her… In a nice way," he added quickly. It wasn't enough to prevent him from being punched in the arm, though.

"She was," Kate admitted a little grudgingly. She was still coming to grips with her father having found someone. Veronica wasn't what she was thinking, or maybe she was. Her dad's lady friend was about 5'-6" tall and likely weighed in at about 190 pounds. She was a big woman. Not fat so much but curvy, big boned, and generously endowed. Kate couldn't help but guess that she was 38D or maybe 40D while she was just 34B. Even her hands were big, almost as big as her dad's.

She was a beautiful woman, though. Her Asian heritage was evident in her face. She was also chatty. A real motormouth. She never stopped talking. It was clear she loved her parents since she talked about them a lot. Including her early years in Japan before leaving home and striking out on her own. She talked about her good fortune in getting into a college in Australia where she graduated from the University of Melbourne.

Kate had learned more about the University of Melbourne than she knew about Stanford by the time they had finished dinner.

Veronica hadn't even chastised her dad about what he'd bought. And she had made a pair of pies from scratch for them. She'd somehow even made what her dad bought taste even better than Kate could remember it ever tasting like before.

Breakfast had been Monkey Bread Danish, Irish coffee, and a green smoothie with avocado and apples. It looked like hell but it tasted so yummy that Kate had sucked it dry using the straw that it had been provided with. "WHAT!?" She saw all the faces that were looking at her as she inhaled every last drop from her glass.

Kate sighed heavily. "She was nice… A little loud maybe, but nice." That had Rick chuckling.

"She just makes friends easily is all. Talking is how she does it. I have to admit I now know more about eye ailments than I ever wanted to learn about." Rick started chuckling again which had Kate giggling.

"That woman never shuts up." Kate didn't mean for it to sound so negative, but she had wished Veronica would just shut up once in a while.

Rick thought he understood why. "It might be because she was nervous. You're his daughter and it was clear that she's fallen in love with your dad. She wanted your approval of her…of them."

Kate turned her head to look at him before turning back to stare at the ceiling. "Dad never did leave her side; he even tried to help her in the kitchen." That had Kate smiling. Her dad was no cook and yet he was in there trying to help until Veronica finally shooed him out.

"She's going to make Dad fat if she keeps cooking like that." Kate knew getting off the weight she'd gained today was going to take some work. She rolled over until she was almost laying on Rick. "Come with me tomorrow. We can work off all the calories we gained today… Unless you want me to be fat?" she teased, since she had no intention of ever gaining a pound.

Rick tilted his head. "What've you got in mind? Remember tomorrow's Black Friday and this city is going to be nuts."

Kate rested her head on his chest. She'd forgotten about that. Still it might work. Everyone would be out shopping, not exercising so they might be alone. "Yoga," she offered softly knowing that Rick wasn't thinking of what she was thinking. She knew a place.

 _Aerial Yoga:_

 _If you've always struggled to relax while doing the downward facing dog because the weight of your entire body is being held up by your weak arms and you just can't anymore – this may be for you. You're suspended in the air, which helps open up your movement and free up your body, making it really accessible and, honestly, pretty cool because you're focused on flying instead of how many minutes left until you can reward the yoga pain with a burger._

They also did one more thing that she might be able to talk Rick into.

 _Yoga Fight Club:_

 _If only Tyler Durden went to yoga fight club instead – an intensive fusion of vinyasa and kickboxing would probably been a healthier way to let off steam._


	13. Chapter 13

**Hope 13**

"Ready?" Rick asked eagerly after Kate came out of the elevator since her dorm was one of the gathering locations before boarding the bus for Vegas.

"Ready." Kate raised up to give him a quick kiss. "I'm looking forward to meeting your mother." She hadn't forgotten about that. She'd made sure that his mother had a room in New York-New York just like they did. Three whole days in Vegas with his mother there for all three days. "You didn't have to get rooms that nice, Castle." Kate was still on his case for the rooms he had reserved for them and his mother.

"Yes, I did. We aren't staying in a room filled with other gross guys or girls in one of those Station hotels." Rick hadn't liked the look of the one their bus was going to take them to. He had also arranged for a car for them as well. Kate wasn't happy with the amount of money Rick was spending and she had determinedly placed cold hard cash in his hand to at least pay for part of it. He was also being tight-lipped about what car he had rented for them.

New York-New York's Marquet Suite - it had a clover-shaped tub in the main room that had Kate practically lusting over the second she'd seen it. Ideas of just what they could do in that tub were dancing in her head. Rick had gotten his mother a Spa Suite. It was simply a smaller version of their suite.

They had most of their trip already planned. When they weren't going to go see a show with his mother, they would be gambling, save for the day that they drove out to see Hoover Dam. Rick had shown her that they had tours of the dam that they could take. Actually be inside the dam. She had rejected the idea of driving all the way to Phoenix. She didn't see any reason to go there. Finding out how far away the Grand Canyon was had also ruled out a quick trip out to see it as well. Still Kate was giddy with excitement. Even their teachers had taken it easy on them so that they could enjoy the holiday.

Kate had every intention of finding something for Rick and his mother for Christmas in Vegas. Get it wrapped and present it to each of them.

She brought a deck of cards for them to play with during the trip. "Strip poker?" Rick teased as she shuffled the cards.

"I'd love to see you naked, Castle, but it might distract the driver," Kate retorted with a grin.

"I'm not the one who's going to be naked," Rick countered slyly.

"Care to put your clothes where your mouth is, Castle?" She wasn't willing to back down.

Rick suggested a compromise. "Virtual strip poker. We bet clothing parts but don't actually take them off."

Kate wasn't buying it and shrugged dismissively. "Doesn't have the same appeal."

Rick announced the stakes. "Loser has to go down on the winner the second we reach our room."

"I accept." Kate liked the terms since either way she won and they both ended up naked.

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"WOW, Castle!" Kate walked around the room and found that even the tub in their room was already filled with water. They just had to turn it on to get the jets to start shooting water and making bubbles. She dropped her bag and looked everything over. "When does your mother get here?" She was pretty sure she knew but wanted to hear it again.

"Her flight doesn't get in until much later today. Her schedule and the airlines schedule just didn't get along very well." If she wasn't going to get in so late they would have stayed in the airport to wait for her. It meant they had hours to kill.

"Gambling?" Kate questioned since their show wasn't until tomorrow and their trip to the dam the day after followed by going home.

Rick was in. "Slots or blackjack or craps?"

"Yes." Kate started giggling; she wanted to try all of them. She had never been there since she never had anyone to come with until now.

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The drinks were free and Kate both was and wasn't having fun. When she won she celebrated by downing her drink, when she lost she pouted and downed her drink to kill the pain.

"I hate this game." Kate had decided that Craps wasn't working for her. "What's next?" She turned to look at Rick who she hadn't noticed wasn't playing.

"Black Jack, I guess." Rick was at least willing to play that game. As far as he knew you had a better chance at winning at that game.

Kate gathered up her chips and followed Rick to a different table. "Oooo, what's that one?" Kate suddenly liked the look of it. That part was at least moving even if all it did was spin.

"Roulette, but you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than winning at that game." Rick had no intention of throwing his money away. Rolling his eyes, he heaved a reluctant sigh and followed Kate when she headed right for it.

"How do you play?" There were numbers on the board and numbers on the spinning thingy and each had red or black.

"You place your chips here." Rick put his finger on a _Plus_ area where the lines intersected. "If the ball lands on any of those four numbers you win. If you put your chips here for example you will win if it lands on either of these two numbers.

"Or you can put your chips on either the red or the black. Or you can put your chips on a single number. The harder is looks like it is to win, the more you win." He thought it was simple enough and even easier to loose your shirt.

To Kate it sounded simple enough so she took a few of her chips and placed them on RED and waited and watched the spinning thingy spin.

"Red 21," the handsome stud working the spinning thingy announced. Kate watched him take away people's chips and yet he added to hers. She clapped her hands and started looking for the barely dressed lady that served drinks. It seemed to take hardly any time at all. She'd only gotten the one drink, the remainder of which she was slamming back. "I hate this game." Kate announced, definitely not fond of this game, either.

"I'm out of chips... How do we get more chips?" Roulette had cleaned her out. She was instantly happy again when Rick handed his chips over to her. "What's next?" There just had to be a game around here somewhere that was fun to play.

Rick guided her over to the Blackjack table that placed a limit on the amount you could bet. He gave the croupier some cash and she handed over some chips. Then he quickly went over what few rules there were. "This one is simple. She gives you two cards. The object is to get to 21 without going over. You need to beat her cards while not going over 21. You can keep asking for a card till you reach 21 or go over or get as close to 21 as you think you are going to get. Numbers are just that and face cards are all 10 while the Ace can be either 1 or 11."

Kate put down too many chips and had to take away all but one since the lady told her she must. "Oh, pooh." Even a little drunk Kate knew the more she bet, the more she won. Kate watched her stop at 18 and found that she had two face cards. "Do I stop?" Kate leaned into Rick and showed him her cards.

Rick immediately placed them face up and showed her a new trick. Since she had two kings he put a chip on each of them. "Now tell her to hit you."

Kate was smiling. "HIT ME!" And Kate watches her put a jack on her king.

"Now set your chips on top. That tells her that you want to stop. Now say hit me," Rick told her.

Kate was still smiling. "Hit me!" And she watched as the dealer placed a 10 on her other king.

"Now place your chips on top," Rick advised her.

Kate watched her add to her chips while taking away Rick's since he went over 21. Kate was still smiling and finally had a drink on the table near her. Her chips hadn't grown but it hadn't gone down any either. She downed her drink when she lost and signaled for another. Suddenly something pointy was in her back.

A deep male voice suddenly threatened, "Come quietly and you won't get hurt." Which is what Kate heard.

What Rick heard, though, was something entirely different. He heard, "Unless you want your girlfriend's blood all over this floor you'll come quietly."

But Kate was a little drunk and took exception to this. "HEY!" She spun and threw what was left of her drink in the thug's face.

This got the attention of the croupier along with her pit boss who started to step that way after pressing a button. It was also the distraction Rick needed.

Rick reached out and took Kate by the arm, then he jerked his head backward as hard as he could. These actions put the guy behind him off his game for just a second as Rick's hard head hit him. It was the second Rick needed as he reached out to grab his arm.

Then he _**JUMPED!**_

Kate was blinded at first since where she was had been a little dark and suddenly the sun was in her eyes. Blinking and raising her hand to shade her eyes, she realized she wasn't inside the casino any longer. Actually everything was the color of gray. Then it changed again and she was surrounded by cars. She thought she saw Rick in her peripheral vision and turned to ask him a question when suddenly he just vanished. In his wake was this tiny looking black _something_ that acted like it wanted to suck her into it, before vanishing.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Kate was sober in an instant and started looking around. She was indeed surrounded by cars. Though off to one side was an enormous ship that was entirely gray. Then she saw the gangplank that allowed access to the ship. "The USS MISSOUR?!" Kate didn't notice her mouth falling open. "WHAT THE HELL!?" She wracked her foggy brain as she looked around a little more. The Missouri was in Hawaii wasn't it? So how in blazes did she get here? And where was the man she'd thrown her drink at? For that matter, where was the Vegas casino she'd been in?!

Then a flash caught her eye that left a tiny black hole in its wake that disappeared just as quickly. Kate lifted her hand back up to block the sun so she could see better. Movement caught her eye and for a moment she thought it was Rick with some other guy. Only both of them vanished in the blink of an eye that left a tiny black hole behind.

Kate was all set to yell his name, but he was gone. "What the fuck?"

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Rick really hated to do this in the middle of a casino that had hidden cameras all over the place, however, someone had a knife in Kate's back. He loved her so her safety came first.

He wanted to get far away and a vision of a postcard that he had at his desk in his room came to mind, so he Jumped.

He was on the deck of the battleship just like he had pictured. Since Kate was here he looked out and saw cars. Letting go of the thug, he Jumped again.

Thinking Kate should be safe here in the parking lot he Jumped back to the asshole who still only had his knife in his hand. Rick quickly reached out to that hand and grabbed it and Jumped.

They ended up on top of Turret Two. A quick look around and Rick Jumped again. This time they were up on the outside deck of the bridge.

"YOU!" Rick knew him. He had been the guy that had tried to kill him last time. Rick ignored the knife and literally leaped at him and wrapped his arms around him. Then Rick Jumped again after putting a picture in his mind.

Rick let go of him and Jumped. He didn't Jump far and stood there and watched him land on the solid, rusty, steel floor with a hard thud. Rick Jumped over and grabbed hold of him and Jumped. Then released him and Jumped again. Followed by watching him fall from the ceiling and hit the same hard, rusty, steel floor again. Rick did it three more times as fast as he could.

The man was still awake thought he looked woozy. Rick grabbed him and Jumped and let go of him and Jumped. Watching him fall and land badly this time onto the same rusty steel floor.

Rick Jumped to him and checked him. Rick took his big knife away from him and Jumped. Rick let go of the knife as he was falling and Jumped.

Rick proceeded to strip the guy naked as he remained unconscious. He was an ebony-colored, tall, and well-muscled African American. Rick knew he was no match for him in a fair fight. But Rick didn't fight fair. Not after the last time they'd met.

"Let's see what we've got here." Rick started looking over everything he had on him.

Rick pulled his drivers license out of his wallet, ignoring everything else for the moment. "Aaron Riddick, you live in Minnesota." Rick put it in his pocket and went back to searching his wallet.

"So you have a room in the Stratosphere." Rick smiled wide since it gave him a lead. He pocketed that as well. Then he kept all the money and credit cards. He tossed the various retail cards that he had in every direction.

"A card for a lawyer." Rick pocketed that. "Car insurance with Geico." It gave him the make of car along with an account number and his coverages, so he pocketed that as well.

Rick picked up all of his clothes and together with what was left in his wallet, he Jumped. While falling he let go of everything and Jumped.

What Rick really wanted to do was question this guy. But he figured him for a professional, or at least the guy had boasted about killing last time.

He'd left Kate in a parking lot back in Hawaii, though, so he Jumped.

"CASTLE?!" Suddenly he was standing next to her with a hint of wind hitting her. Kate looked around to try and figure out how he had gotten so close without her seeing him. "WHAT THE HELL, CASTLE!" The only option she had left wasn't one she liked.

"Kate, I can explain." Rick felt Kate bat his arm away.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" How had he done all this? She had reached a conclusion. "You're a _FREAK! A GOD DAMN_ _MUTANT_ _!"_ She stared at him with new eyes.

"Kate," Rick pleaded softly. He just wanted time to explain. He feared what she would think when he told her. He'd had no choice; her safety had to come first.

She swatted at the arm that reached out for her. "DON'T TOUCH ME... _FREAK!_ " Kate looked around for a way out. She wanted to run, run and run and run.

Rick pointed out a flaw in what she was probably thinking. "We're in Hawaii." He also knew that in order to prevent pickpockets, Kate only had a little money and her ID in her pocket. She had done without a purse.

"HAWAII!" It was a place she had always wanted to visit, but not like this. Certainly not with a freak of a boyfriend. GOD! Her boyfriend was a mutant of some kind!

"Let me take you home," Rick offered, reaching out to Jump both of them.

She batted his hand away again. _"DON'T_ _YOU_ _TOUCH ME!"_

"Kate, we're in Hawaii... Let me take you back." This time Rick reached out quickly, got hold of her...and Jumped.

"LET GO OF ME! FREAK!" Kate screeched him and looked around. They were in their hotel room in New York-New York. She could see both of their bags. "GET OUT!" she screamed, ignoring the hurt look on his face. "GET OUT, GET OUT, _**GET OUT!**_ I don't ever want to see you again!" she shouted and saw him vanish in an instant, leaving a tiny black hole behind him and a little gust of wind. GOD! How did such a perfect trip turn into the one from hell!? Kate dove for the bed and her tears began falling.

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"Hello _,_ Mother." While Rick really was glad to see her, quite justifiably, his mood had turned bad.

"Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine." Of course Martha noticed her son was very unhappy. "Where's Katherine?" She'd expected both of them to greet her. She so wanted to talk to this girl.

"She knows." Rick cast his head down and stared at the floor. The same exact spot where his heart now resided.

"OH, Richard!" Martha hugged him. Based on his mood, she was guessing that her finding out what her son was capable of had not gone well. "Come on, you can tell me all about it on the way to the hotel." Martha took his arm and began walking to the baggage claim.

She'd had to drag every last item out of him as she watched him sulk his way to the baggage claim. In the taxi to their hotel and then finally in her room.

Martha had long feared what would happen to her son once people started learning what he was capable of. But she'd never dreamed of someone or a group of someones that would want to kill him for being a DEMON. She had raised her son correctly. He was a good boy. "Give me your room key, Richard."

He started to question why when Martha stopped him. "The key, Richard." She'd heard enough. "Do not leave this room. I expect to find you right here when I get back." Martha pointed her finger at him, doing her best to sound serious, since she was.

Rick watched her leave and felt the door slamming closed like it was the end of his life. He loved Kate with every fiber of his being. She was the perfect woman. Beautiful in the extreme, smart, funny, and not afraid to take charge. She was perfect. She was exceptional. Now she thought he was a freak, some kind of mutant.

Kate had cried herself out. There just were no more tears left to shed. She was lying on her back on the bed with her arms and legs spread wide. Then someone knocked on her door. "PISS OFF, CASTLE!" She never wanted to see that deviant again.

"It's not Richard, Katherine... It's Martha," came the female voice in response to her yell.

 _MARTHA!_ She had long since forgotten that his mother was coming to join them. She had very much wanted to meet her. Now she knew she was the mother of a FREAK.

"Go away, Martha." She just wanted to go back to school, go back to her classes, and forget about this cursed trip. Then she heard the door open. The locked door.

Kate watched as a very colorfully attired woman entered the room and let the door close. "We need to talk, Katherine," Martha informed the lovely woman who was lying on the bed. She looked to have recently been crying heavily.

Martha could see what her son saw in her. Katherine was lovely. She had a lot of work in front of her. This wasn't going to be easy.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hope 14**

Kate was lying on her back on the bed laughing her ass off. Martha's latest story about Rick when he was a lot younger had finally gotten to her. Yes, several of the others had been funny and she had laughed at almost all of them. That was after Martha had been talking to her for a while, though. The woman simply wouldn't give up on her son and wasn't willing to let Kate give up on him either.

Martha had stopped talking and the silence had Kate sitting up to look at her. What she saw worried her a little.

"I had a lot of fears for my son. His Jumping was cute, exasperating, dangerous, and in some instances, endearing. Fortunately he saw himself as a super hero and not a super criminal. I don't think I want to think about what evils if not just mischief he could get himself into." Martha didn't want her son in prison for the rest of his life. Not that any prison could hold him. That just meant he would be on the run forever.

"I know I'm exaggerating here, but what if some government got their hands on him and tried to find out how he did what he does?" Martha had great fears that they would take him apart to find what was so different about her son.

"I…I think someone has already found out," Kate told her softly and saw Martha looking at her for an explanation. "There were these two men in the casino. I think they both had knives," Kate began, watching Martha just watching her. "I was a little drunk at the time and threw my drink in his face. Next thing I knew we were on a battleship in Hawaii. Then in the middle of a parking lot.

"I think Rick fought with the guy. I…I didn't react very well to what he'd done." Kate, after listening to a lot of Martha's stories, now felt terrible about how she had reacted and what she'd said. "I think they wanted to capture him. …And me." Kate now saw that what Rick had done was to save her from both of the men.

"OH, NO!" Martha's worst fear might have just come to pass.

"Where is he, Martha?" Kate needed to apologize for her actions.

"He's in my room. Though with his ability he could be anywhere." Martha was beginning to be deeply frightened for her son.

"If they've found him and know you are involved, dear…" Martha didn't want Kate to be hurt. "He loves you, you know." That was the one clear thing she had gotten from her son in their short exchange.

"I love him, too." Kate recognized that she hadn't fallen out of love for him, even after what had happened.

Martha held our her card key. "Then go talk to him. You two have some decisions to make." If they had found them here, then they could find them in San Francisco.

Kate got up and took the key. "Martha?" Kate didn't know what to say. Martha got up and hugged her like only a mother could do. To Kate it was a hug she had never experienced in her life. She could feel tears starting.

"You're going to need to put your foot down. My son can be a handful, as you have learned." Martha smiled and hoped Katherine was up to the challenge.

Kate chuckling wryly. "Provided he'll talk to me." Kate had her own worries.

Martha gave advice that she hoped Katherine already knew. "Love isn't a switch, my dear. You don't just turn it off and on when you please."

"Thank you, Martha. I don't know what I'd do without you." Kate knew just what her dad would say if she told him. He might even turn Rick in.

"Keep hold of him, Katherine. He can't Jump away from you if you can hold onto him and never let go. He has power to do a lot. There's one thing I learned as he was growing up. If his heart is involved, his power gets stronger. I wouldn't be surprised if he could Jump an entire house if he wanted."

"Good to know." She would take hold of him and never let go until they had talked.

"I'll be here until you two want to talk. Good luck, dear. Just remember, he does love you. He risked Jumping in public because of you," Martha told her.

That had Kate sucking in a breath. Casinos were loaded with cameras. That casino and most probably the Las Vegas Police had likely seen everything by now. They already had a problem.

Kate reopened the door after leaving. "I don't know your room number." It was just a card key that didn't have a room number on it. It didn't even say which hotel.

Martha chuckled and told Kate her room number. "Good luck," Martha said to the closed door.

o- [:] -o

Kate could only think of one thing to do. She picked up the room phone and called her room.

"Hi Martha, it's Kate. Rick isn't here. Any idea where he could be?" Her room was empty.

"I don't know, Katherine. With his ability he could be anywhere. I suggest you settle in and wait. It's not likely that he will come here if he's trying to avoid you. I'll wait here and order something from room service.

"Give him some time, my dear. You both have suffered a blow." Martha hung up. "Hurry up Richard, before it's too late."

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Kate was losing her mind. She rolled over on the bed to look at the clock yet again. Rolling back over and spreading her arms wide, she sighed. It had been a whole 10 minutes since the last time she had looked. It had also been a whole 3 hours since she had been in Martha's room waiting for Rick.

"Maybe he went to our room!" Kate sat up suddenly. "Except Martha would have called me if he did." She flopped back onto the bed, exasperated with the entire thing.

Since she was all alone she went back to wondering how he did what he did. He had _Jumped_ as Martha put it with her and that other guy. That was something that Martha had mentioned during their talk. She had never known him to Jump with anyone else, let alone two people. "What else can you do, Castle?" Kate had been reduced to talking to herself. "Come on, Castle. …I'm sorry already." She wiped at the tears that had started.

Kate had been even further reduced to pacing the room and with every trip her heart ached even more. She stopped at the phone with the intent of calling Martha to see if she had seen him or if she knew where he would go. "How would she know. You can go anywhere." Kate flapped her arms and let them hit her legs.

"Anywhere." She gave off an irritated sigh and went back to pacing when suddenly what felt like a gust of wind hit her. Immediately she turned to look. "CASTLE!" Kate jumped at him. Her kind of jump and grabbed hold of him.

"I'm sorry, Rick, so very sorry." Kate wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry, I jumped to a conclusion and it was the wrong one." She looked up at him.

Rick tried gently to try and extract himself from her arms but she held onto him even tighter. "You were right, Kate, I'm a freak." He'd frequently used his gift to do some of the stupidest things.

Kate moved her hands to cup his face. "No, Castle, you're just different. You're still you and I still love you." This time she meant it more than she ever had.

Rick reached up to take hold of her hands and remove them from his face. "Yes, I am and I always will be. I fell for the dream of being normal and I just can't." He released her hands only to have Kate wrap them around his neck.

"Let go, Kate." He couldn't Jump away and never come back with her draped all over him.

"Not a chance, Rick. Your mother warned me that you might try and Jump away from me and that's not happening until we've talked." Kate held him tighter. "Your mother told me a lot, Rick," Kate confided. She knew more than he thought she did.

"My mother? …MY MOTHER!" Rick tried to collapse but Kate held him up. "I forgot all about her. GOD, could I screw this up any more." He had forgotten that his mother was capable of telling her any number of things. "It was lies, Kate. All lies." He needed to defend himself, even if his mother was right.

Kate agreed with him quickly. "All lies." She raised an eyebrow, remembering one of the more endearing moments when Rick had Jumped. "So it was a lie that you jumped home to get something she had forgotten and needed badly for her show. Or the time you jumped to rescue her from a guy who was hitting on her. A guy that was driving her mad."

"David Love." Rick tilted his head back and rolled his eyes. "That guy had the soul of a petrified tree trunk and the skin to match." He began laughing and Kate joined him.

"So my mother and you talked." He dreaded just what his mother could have told her. "Just remember she exaggerates everything. She's an actress."

"Your mother's amazing and she loves you. Even if you did drive her nuts sometimes." Kate smiled and raised up to give him a quick kiss.

"So where have you been, Castle?" He had run away after she had been awful to him and she wanted to know where he had gone to hide.

He huffed a breath. "Stratosphere to be precise."

"A different casino? To do what?" What did it have that this one didn't. This one had smoke coming out of the fake manholes. How cool was that?

"It's where the man who tried to take us was staying," Rick said.

"They had knives, Rick. What did they want anyway?" Besides him, that is.

"To kill me. He tried it once before in New York. Said I was a Demon and he was a servant of God and it was his duty to kill me," Rick explained.

"God doesn't kill people. Only the Devil does that. Is that why you were so worried about going to New York?" She just knew it wasn't because of her dad. Her dad had obviously loved him.

"Yeah, tell that to him and his lady boss." Rick let his head rest up against hers.

"They want you dead?" Kate wanted to learn what he knew.

"The first time…and this time, he had this big knife that he said he had used to kill other Demons like me."

"There are more like you?" She was astounded. How many of them were there?

Rick told her the truth. "That was the first I knew. As far as I knew I was alone. I've never met anyone who can do what I can."

Kate thought that over. "So what was in the Stratosphere? I assume you went there."

He shrugged. "Something that's hopefully going to be helpful. I found his overnight bag, a laptop, and something I've never seen before. I dumped it in the middle of the Atlantic along with his knife and his clothes. I gave the laptop to James."

"Your roommate?" Why would he do that? Why is his roommate involved in this?

"The laptop had a password and for all I know it has other things, like bugs. Maybe it'll blow up and kill whoever tries to use it. James is a genius with computers so I left it with him."

"Blow up?" Kate was starting to question why she loved him so much.

Rick became defensive. He really did need information about them and their organization, after all. "Format the hard drive. Overheat the CPU. I don't know. I'm no computer expert. That's what I have James for."

"Don't your roommates know that you are in Vegas and not San Francisco?" Was his Jumping going to cause more trouble?

"They only know that I'm with you, not where we are. Actually I'm amazed that James was still at school." Rick counted himself lucky that he was still in the house. It was the Christmas break and most everyone left campus.

"So where did you go with him. I think I saw you jumping on that battleship. The guy that wants to kill you." Kate wanted to know everything.

"I left him naked and alone." Rick didn't want her to think that he was a killer.

"Okay, but where?" Kate took him at his silent word.

"It's a place called Maunsell Army Sea Forts." Rick had seen a picture of it and retained it in his memory. Kate was looking at him, wondering where the hell that was?

"They are antiaircraft tower-forts that were constructed during World War II just off the coast of Kent. It consists of seven stilted buildings surrounding a central command tower _._ They've been abandoned for years." Rick didn't think it would hold the guy, at least not forever. However it would do for now.

Kate tightened her hold on him and pressed her face into his chest. "What now?" she whispered into his chest.

"I don't know. Haven't really thought that far ahead. They found me in New York and somehow found me here. If they can do that they can probably find me in San Francisco. I'm not really sure just where is safe. At least not long term." Rick really had no idea just what to do now.

Kate moaned. She was afraid of that. "Don't go anywhere without me, Castle."

"It's not safe to be near me, Kate, it really isn't. I think I've been targeted and they aren't going to stop until they kill me. I can't have them killing you, too." He loved her too much to put her into that kind of danger.

Kate looked up at him. "You're **NOT** going anywhere without me. …Got it?" She put her foot down and wanted to make sure he understood that. She was not to be excluded in what they did.

Rick tried to get her to see reason one more time. "This isn't a good idea, Kate. They want me, not you. You're just collateral damage."

"We'll think of something. Change our names. Change schools. Something." She wasn't losing him. She loved him too much and after her talk with Martha, she loved him even more.

"I actually already have changed my name." Rick did his best to close himself off from what he was sure Kate was going to say. However she remained silent.

"My real name–" Kate interrupted him. "Richard Alexander Rodgers. Martha told me." She looked up at him again. "Martha didn't know you had changed your name to Castle. She's not a fan of the new name, babe." Kate had talked about Castle and Martha didn't know who she was talking about.

"Where **is** my mother?" He had expected her to be in her room. Not to find Kate in it.

"She's in our room in case you went there. She's suppose to latch onto you and call me if you do. Which reminds me." Kate took a firm hold of his hand and guided them over to the room phone.

"He's here, Martha," Kate said to the older woman after she picked up the phone on her end. "I have hold of him. We'll be waiting." She ended the call. "Martha's coming here. We can figure out what to do next. What about the guy who had a knife in my back? The one I threw my drink at." There had been two men involved.

Rick shook his head. "I don't know. I haven't seen him since then. He could be anywhere. Likely telling everyone that he lost me again."

Kate sagged against him. It sounded to her like they would still be after him. Just because he could do what he does. She didn't really understand why they wanted him dead.

"Who are they? I mean what, besides killing you, do they hope to accomplish?" Just what was the reasoning behind wanting Rick and others like him dead?

"Maybe we'll find out if James can get into that laptop." It was the best clue Rick had.

o- [:] -o

The three of them sat there with Kate draped all over Rick in case he got a stupid idea of Jumping away without her. She took Martha's warning to heart.

"So we have a plan." Kate hoped this would work out for them. They still had a lot of research to do for it to work. But it was better than nothing.

"I'm sorry, Richard." Martha didn't have anything better and she felt responsible. After all, she **had** given birth to him.

"Martha, no!" Kate wanted to go over to her, to hold and console her. But that meant letting go of Rick and that was something she had no plans of doing.

They were all distracted when Rick's phone started ringing. A minute later Rick shared his conversation. "That was James. He's managed to get into the laptop and says it's ready for me to come get."

"GREAT, let's go." Kate stood up and took Rick's hand. "I don't want to hear it, Castle. I'm going so just Jump us there. You can get the laptop and we'll come back."

A broad smile lit Martha's face. She was learning to really love Katherine. The young woman was just what her son needed. She had come around and didn't see her son as a Demon, monster, or freak any longer. Plus she was willing to take charge of their lives.

"We'll be back, Mother." Then Rick and Kate Jumped back to San Francisco.

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To Rick and Kate it had only taken a few minutes to get the laptop and jump back. For Martha who was waiting alone, it seemed a lot longer.

They were both standing behind Rick as he searched the laptop to see what it contained. A picture popped up on the screen. "That's the woman in New York. The one that tried to have me killed."

The blood drained from Kate's face. Totally stunned, she placed both hands over her mouth. "Katherine, what is it, dear?" Martha could see her reaction even if Rick couldn't since he was facing the laptop, not her.

Kate stared at the picture, her eyes wide and in complete shock. Tears streamed down her face as she whispered, "That's my mother."


	15. Chapter 15

**Hope 15**

Rick stepped up behind Kate and wrapped his arms around her. They had done a lot over the last month. All because of his unique ability. He was thankful that she hadn't freaked out on him about what he could do again.

He had no idea how to console Kate about the picture he'd found on that laptop. Granted the woman on the laptop was older, however, Kate was certain it was her. She had also refused to tell her dad. Her pain was enough; she didn't want to add to her dad's pain. Martha hadn't even argued over her decision. He was even more thankful for his mother.

"No… yes… maybe." Kate still wasn't sure she was ready for this. So many changes in such a short time. It was difficult to take it all in. Rick was being hunted and by extension, so was she. So they'd left Stanford and enrolled in a different university. A lot of their credits transferred but some did not. Especially Rick's.

The University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. They'd gotten the idea from what Veronica had said over Thanksgiving. Kate was more than happy to find out that the University of Melbourne was ranked as the 7th best for studies in the field of law. Rick's writing classes, though, took a hit. Stanford and Melbourne just didn't compare for him. But he was quite willing to sacrifice for Kate.

Next came a new place to live since their college of higher learning wasn't in San Francisco. 1710/22 Dorcas Street, Southbank, VIC 3006. It was $AU833 a week and Kate had been momentarily shocked into silence. At least it had come furnished, plus it included all utilities and Foxtel. It was just one bedroom and one bathroom. They had both initially liked the clean lines of the place and they'd been in a hurry to find something, anything.

They had already been there for two weeks and had started their classes. Kate was the first to start hating the place. It was _WHITE!_ White walls, white ceilings. Hell, the kitchen was entirely white. The floors were a gray tile and even the furniture was mostly gray.

"The TV is in the kitchen, Castle! …I mean, Anderson." Kate let her chin fall to her chest. That was one of the things she had given up in order to keep him. Her name. She now had a drivers license and passport with her new name, the same as Rick did. He hadn't asked her, though in her head she was trying to come to grips with being Mrs. Anderson instead of Mrs. Castle. It just wasn't the same.

Kate came back to the present. "I'm not sure I want to do this."

"If you want answers, she's the only one who can give them to you," Rick reminded her; going there was his idea. "Get your coat, Kate, it's going to be cold." He let go of her so she could go back into the bedroom to retrieve her coat. His was laying on the sofa.

Kate's mind continued to race all over the place. The laptop had been filled with hidden treasures. It had a listing of every person they'd killed that shared Rick's ability. Eight total so far; Rick would have been number nine. It even had a list of people that they were gathering information on to verify that they were in fact _Demons._ And it had addresses and phone numbers, including where they worked and who their family members were. That was one more thing that had scared them into action. They'd found Martha and Jim in their database. Martha knew what Rick could do, but Jim didn't. They were still talking about that. First, however, had come getting out of San Francisco.

They hadn't even finished their trip to Vegas. They didn't attend their show, get a car, drive to the dam for a tour. The entire trip had been wiped out because of her mother. On a lark they'd done one thing. "It's fake, Kate. Think of it as a rehearsal for when I really do ask you," Rick had argued. That alone had caused her to briefly stop breathing. He was really going to ask her and after a couple of minutes of not breathing, she knew what her answer would be when he did. Just like her answer was for this. "I do."

Kate had laughed in the taxi all the way back to their hotel in Vegas to collect Martha and leave that cursed city. "How do you feel, Mrs. Castle?" Rick teased. Kate's answer had been to kiss him.

It was barely the size of an outhouse. It looked like a tiny church and it had just the one elderly man inside it. A drive-thru wedding chapel. It was fake but Kate had a ring of sorts. It was just as fake and had come from a gift shop in one of the casinos.

Martha had hugged both of them. "I better be invited to the real one…or else." She had glared at her son.

"I'll make sure you're there, Martha. And I'll make sure Castle Jumps to collect you." Kate hugged her for all she was worth. Martha had done so much for her in such a short time.

Kate came walking back to Rick while putting on her coat. She didn't say a word, just pressed herself into his chest. If anyone asked her, she was scared. Getting married had been fun; fake, but fun. Confronting the mother that had abandoned her and her dad? That wasn't going to be any fun. Still Rick was right. She needed answers.

"Ready?" Rick wrapped his arms around her.

"No," Kate replied weakly and then she felt it. It was like being pulled on suddenly only to have that same someone let go of her. She didn't actually see anything. She was still trying to get used to seeing one thing one second and then seeing another a moment later. If she blinked, she would miss all of it.

It was also suddenly cold, freezing actually. The driveway along with the walkway to the front door had been shoveled. However, everywhere else there had to be at least 3 feet of snow on the ground, if not more. Literally everything was white. More white than their apartment.

The house was in the countryside of Minneapolis, Minnesota and it was after New Year's. The dead of winter. Rick had been there a few times just to get the lay of the land.

"Go ask her." Rick kissed her forehead and spun her around. "Go get answers. I'll be watching and I'll be there if you need me." Out here he didn't worry about anyone seeing him. Plus her mother already knew about him. She was the one that wanted him dead, after all.

Kate felt him Jump away. There was a tiny burst of wind that wanted to suck her in with it, and then suddenly it was gone. She had seen him do it a few times by now. He always left behind this tiny swirl of dark gray cloud that looked like a mini black hole that just vanished.

She shook herself and gathered her courage around her like armor. "I can do this…I think." What she really wanted to do was signal Rick and have him come get her so she could get out of there. At the very least she wanted a few answers.

Whatever she or they did, they had money. It had a three car garage, stone exterior, nice landscaping – what she could see of it in the snow. It had a second floor and it was also easily 3,000 square feet in size. She guessed there must be several acres if they owned all the land around it.

Kate walked up to the front door and stared at it. She looked around to try and spot Rick, but didn't see him. Still she had faith that he could see her. So she reached out and pressed the doorbell. She could hear it chime and she waited impatiently. It was possible that no one was home. Her nerves started to leave her. Maybe they would have to come back later. That idea was crushed when the door opened. It was a girl, maybe 11 or 12 years old. "Kristine?" Kate questioned. _Please tell me there_ _'_ _s no one here by that name._

The girl turned her head. " **MOM!** … **DOOR!** " Then she ran off leaving the door standing open. Kate didn't see much. There was a tile floor, maybe marble. A grand staircase curved up not far away. Even the furniture she could see looked elegant. Kind of French Classic.

"Yes, can I help…" She came to the door and stopped mid-sentence. Both were shocked into silence.

"Mom?" She looked like her picture on the laptop. Just an older version of the picture her dad still had of her.

"Katherine." It was easy to tell she hadn't been expecting Kate.

"It _is_ you, isn't it." Suddenly Kate felt nothing but rage and hatred for her. She had grown up wanting to know why her mother had abandoned them. Finding her picture on that laptop had explained why. But she didn't want to believe it. She couldn't believe it. Her mother wasn't a murderer.

"Katherine, how did you… What do you want? How did you find me?" She thought she had covered her tracks pretty well. Her daughter shouldn't be here. She should be in New York with her father.

Kate got right to the point. "I want to know why you left dad and me. I was just a kid. I also want to know why you became a murderer."

"It's not what you think, Katherine." She had a reason. She just never expected to have to explain it to a family member, let alone a daughter that wasn't hers any longer.

"So you're not a murderer?" This woman was trying to kill the man who had her heart.

 _How was Katherine involved in any of this? How had she found her? Somehow she knew though._ She self-righteously said, "I am the hand of GOD."

Kate began laughing. "The hand of God? God isn't a murderer, Mother. Or have you forgotten the sixth commandment: Thou shall not kill." Let's see her talk herself around _that._

"I do what God can't. I perform a service that God wants but won't do himself." She _was_ the hand of God.

Kate went back to laughing and couldn't help but notice that her mother was starting to get angry. "You told yourself a lie so you can clear your conscience about making a deal with the Devil. A servant of Satan," Kate countered.

"I don't expect you to understand. You should go before I forget who you are. Don't ever come back, Katherine." The implications of what would happen if she did were evident.

"You murdering bitch!" Kate's anger over what her mother actually was boiled over. Kate took a small step to close the distance, used every muscle in her arm, swung wide, and slapped her. Kate watched her head snap to one side and the sound actually echoed off of the walls and floor. She saw her mother actually stagger from the blow. As she turned back to face her, Kate could see her handprint in red on her mother's face. "Murdering bitch!" she repeated. Kate had always hoped for a loving mother and a reason why her mother had left her. Now she knew what her mother was and why her younger self and her dad had been abandoned.

She started to open her mouth to respond, then felt the familiar sensations of someone Jumping. In a moment she and Kate no longer felt the cold. The house was gone. It was replaced with rusted metal everywhere. She looked around and saw him. He released her arm and moved a foot to shift next to Katherine.

"YOU!" It was Richard Rodgers. The kid that had escaped her right-hand man. TWICE!

"Yeah, me. …You alright?" Rick turned his head to look at Kate but never took an eye off of her.

Kate nodded. "I think I've learned enough. …Not to worry, Mother, we're not murderers and you won't receive an invitation to our wedding. Take me home." Kate had learned enough.

Rick didn't bat an eye; he Jumped them back to their apartment in Australia. He hugged her tightly and kissed her. "I'll be right back," he said and Jumped without her.

"RICK, DON'T!" But she was too late. She was talking to a vanishing mini black hole.

He Jumped to where he had been. "It's over," Rick informed her coldly, noting that Kate's mother hadn't moved an inch from where she had been.

She tossed her head. "It will never be over until all of you are gone. God never rests."

"I have your man, Aaron's, laptop. It's filled with details about your entire organization. Every name, address, and phone number that you have helping you to be a murderer." Rick simply smiled, certain he now had the edge.

"I'm not a murderer. Killing scum like you is not murder." She hadn't lost her faith in her mission.

"You just keep telling yourself that. You can explain that to the man that bars your entrance to Heaven and sends you to Hell instead to join up with your master. Not to worry, you won't be alone here for long." Rick had every intention of going hunting. Only instead of killing, he was going to maroon them.

Rick Jumped to the other side of the room the second she twitched a muscle. "You'll find your friend around here somewhere. I'll fill the other spaces with the rest of your killers. Enjoy your stay." He Jumped for home to find Kate had barely moved.

Kate felt Rick Jump in and immediately found herself in his arms. "Rick? …Babe?" He hadn't done what she feared he had done, had he?

Rick thought he knew what she was asking. "No, I didn't. I left her where I left the other guy, just in a different one."

Kate leaned into him, trusting him to tell her the truth. "Where were we? Where is she?" Kate was curious. Mostly because she wanted her to suffer for what she'd done.

"There are six two-story metal anti-aircraft forts that Britain built during World War II. They're out to sea several miles off of Kent. They used to be interconnected by a bridge, but now that's long gone. They were abandoned years ago," Rick explained, hoping that was enough.

"Abandoned. Can they escape?" It wasn't a prison, after all.

"They might one day be found and rescued, hopefully not for a long time, though." He'd chosen this location because it gave them hope. Plus if they were smart, they could collect rain water, do some fishing. They wouldn't die but life wouldn't be easy.

Kate gave a small nod. It was enough. "Now what?"

Rick smiled and tightened his hold on her. "Now we get back to living our lives. Right after I collect all the others and leave them there. I'm going to fill the other four forts with her hired killers. They can all watch each other suffer."

"Do we have to get the others?" Kate just wanted to go back to living their lives. Yes, she wanted to live it without fear of being hunted and killed. But did they have to make this many sacrifices to do it?

"Leave them to me. I'll hunt them down when we don't have classes and we can look for a different place to live if you want." They'd been in a hurry when they selected this place. Now that they were here, they had time to learn about their new home and find a place they both liked. They both had three more years of classes before graduation.

Kate looked up at him. "Yes, please." This place was not to her taste. If felt more like a hospital.

Rick chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. Kate broke from the kiss and tried to bury her head against his chest. "I love you." It suddenly hit her that she hadn't said that to him since that day he jumped them to Hawaii and that battleship. She felt bad about that. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Kate, and we're going to be fine." He just had to clean up the mess so that they could.

"What do we tell my dad? Your mother knows everything, but my dad's in the dark." She really didn't know what to do. Did they tell him everything, show him what Rick could do?

"We'll work it out, love. You can still talk to him when either of you calls. If you think he'll worry less, let him think you're still at Stanford. Explain and apologize later, perhaps." Rick didn't have a good answer for her.

"We're going to need jobs." They needed money to live here with. Pay the rent, pay their tuition, buy books and food to eat. They also needed to figure out how to get around.

Rick attempted to reassure her. "I have money, Kate, enough to last us for a while."

That had Kate looking up at him. How did he have so much money. She had seen him use cash when they got this place and when he purchased everything else. Including groceries after they had moved in. He sighed, knowing that this was not going to go over well with her. How did he explain that he was a bank robber? "Rick?" He was quiet for too long and she started to glare at him, beaming her demand that he explain into his brain before she hurt him.

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Aaron had considered having survived forcing his personal killing knife into his own belly as a sign from God. Yes, it had hurt and he had bled a lot, but he'd survived. Then he'd gotten lucky and had found that kid, Richard Rodgers, in Vegas. A quick plane ride with a friend and he had located them sitting at a blackjack table. Since all casinos had so many cameras he had chosen to do it a more risky way. Getting casino security or worse involved would have been trouble. Add to that it had taken him weeks to recover. It was a sign from God.

Now here he was, naked, drinking what water he could accumulate in at least a semi-clean manner. It had taken a lot of work but he had worked out a way to fish so he wouldn't starve. He'd even found a net that he was able to repair and that went over the side and into the water as well. All things considered he was doing better than most might expect. He was always on the lookout for a boat or a plane. He could see land but it was several miles and he had no illusions that he could swim it without first becoming shark bait.

He had even hit the jackpot, or so he thought at the time. Case after case of WWII k9 rations that had been left behind. Only to find that most and possibly all had not survived the test of time all that well. Still it was something.

In addition he had found enough material to cover himself and hopefully enough to survive the winter. Not that he had any intention of staying here that long.

Then one day he saw something that should have been impossible. Even worse in some ways, she'd spotted him.

The woman who at one time had been Johanna Beckett, couldn't believe the mess she found herself in. All she had were the clothes she had been wearing. She had even been wearing heels at the time. She was an agent of God, so why was she here? "It's a test, a test of my resolve to serve him."

Still she couldn't believe that she had been face to face with her first daughter. Worse in some ways was that since she was here, she was involved with a Jumper. In many ways that hurt the most. Her daughter was involved with a Demon. If she ever got out of here she would be forced to order the death of her own child.

"Nothing!" She threw what was in her hand to the far side of the room. No food, no water, no clothes, nothing useful. It was on her way up the stairs when she thought she saw something. It fell from one of the other stations. Johanna sat down and just watched until finally she saw it come back up and it looked to have fish in it. "Food." It was a sign. She may have failed the latest test, but her job wasn't over yet. She was going to escape here and get her revenge against that kid and against her own daughter.

"What have you done, Jim, you idiot!"


	16. Chapter 16

Hope 16

Epilogue

"DAD!" Kate couldn't remember when she'd been this happy. She was clad in her best dress and launched herself into her dad's arms. She had just finished attending her graduation ceremony. Rick had graduated a little earlier since his major hadn't taken as long as hers had.

Rick had Jumped to New York to pick him up and Jump them both to their apartment where they took a taxi to the university. "So this is the big secret you've been keeping." They had talked to each other over the years and while Jim knew where they both were, meaning in Australia, he didn't know exactly where.

Jim hadn't known for all that long at just what Rick could do. In fact this was his first Jump and he wasn't stupid enough to drill Rick for answers in the taxi. That didn't mean the two of them weren't going to get an earful later.

"I graduated, Dad." Kate went back to hugging her dad close. She smiled as she saw Rick standing there beaming at her. The two men she loved most in this world.

"We're celebrating at our apartment. We just need someplace private." Kate had long since gotten used to Jumping from place to place.

They had spent weekends or the summers in some of the most interesting places. She had learned all Rick needed was a picture to get them there. After that Kate had gone nuts looking for pictures of all kinds of places.

They had spent summers in Spain. Weekends in Paris, France, or Tokyo, Japan. She had even found an island where they could be alone and had gone naked for two days. That day had never been repeated. They'd both gotten sunburns in places that had never seen the sun before and was likely to never see it again.

"Good!" Jim wanted a lot of answers. "I'm so proud of you, Katie. Veronica would be too if she was here." Jim had told her where they both were and Veronica couldn't have been more happy for both of them. As far as she was concerned, it was the best university on the planet.

She didn't know a thing about what Rick could do, though. Hell, Jim had only just learned and he had started looking around for a private place so he could start getting answers.

It only took minutes and Jim found himself back in their apartment. "Start talking, son." Jim had learned to love Rick because he loved his daughter. But he wanted answers.

"Dad?" Kate tried to start explaining for Rick. Jim held up a hand. "Stow it, Katie. Now, son."

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"What do you think?" Rick asked her after they left the real estate agent to talk.

"It's a lot of money and we're going to have to get at least one boat if not two." Kate was pretty sure that Rick knew what she thought of the place as they walked through it. She'd said _WOW_ a whole lot.

"Granted this is going to stretch us in the short term. My advance on the book is going to be wiped out. We'll be living off of the remainder of the money I have. And we need to start looking for a job for you. I can write anywhere. The question is do you want to be a lawyer here?" This place was theirs only if Kate agreed.

"It's gorgeous and of all the places we've looked at, this is the one. But if it doesn't work out we run the risk of it ruining us financially." Kate turned around to look at the house while placing a hand on her belly.

The house was practically all wood and windows and had two floors. A large deck out back with what the real estate agent called an infinity pool just off of the deck. Not that they really needed the pool. The entire house was on stilts over the ocean. It even had a slide off of the second floor that dumped you into the ocean just off of the pool. Kate had been fearful that Rick was going to slide down it in his clothes and get everything soaked.

The glass doors opened wide everywhere. Living room, dining room, master bedroom. Sun-bleached wood floors and walls. Even the open beam ceilings were the same wood. The exact opposite of their apartment in Australia.

Then there was the kitchen. Everything else was sun-bleached wood while the kitchen was a dark mahogany wood. The contrast was striking. She even loved the master bedroom. It had two lavatories that looked out onto the ocean. Even this room had glass doors that could be opened to the outside.

Pops of color came in various locations. An outdoor seating area had built-in seating that was lime green. The seating in the living room was a stark white.

There were only six of these homes and this was the last one. If they didn't pounce on it now, they would lose it. "It's up to you, Kate."

They had gotten good at calling each other their real names when they were alone. Though when they were in public they used the names that everyone else knew them by. Even all of their IDs had this name.

Kate knew Rick was willing to risk it. However, she had also learned that between the two of them, Rick was the one that would splurge and spend their money. She was far more frugal and more willing to save their money instead of spending it.

What she wanted was a job in this area. Unfortunately she didn't even have a single lead for one. Not that they had really spent much time looking for one and she blamed herself for that.

"You do _not_ splurge on boats that are far too expensive for us. I have to agree to each of them." Kate poked her finger in Rick's chest. His response was to smile widely, wrap his arms around her, and kiss her soundly. A lot of his kisses usually left her breathless and this was one of them. He looked past her to the real estate agent. "We'll take it."

 _Soneva Jani is located on the island of Medhufaru, located in the Maldives' Noonu Atoll. One of the largest islands in the Maldives and highly accessible, Medhufaru is only 35 minutes by seaplane from Male International Airport and one hour by speedboat from Soneva Fushi._

 _2 Bedroom Overwater Villa_

 _With a pool, catamaran net, sunken seat and daybed, the Two Bedroom Pool Water Villa affords a wealth of tropical lounging opportunities. The first floor offers a spacious bedroom, bathroom, dressing room, outdoor shower, walk-in minibar, TV lounge and kids' sleeping area. The second bedroom is located on the upper floor, along with an additional dressing room, bathroom, seating area, dining sala with roof deck and your own private water slide._

 _The Gathering_

 _The heart of the resort, the Gathering is a three-storey overwater structure that is home to various dining outlets, as well as the spa, library, retail area and wine cellar. It is located next to the Observatory._

It was one of the many common areas that were accessible to everyone that lived in the community.

There was even a beach that had a large screen to view movies. You sat on the beach while the screen was out over the ocean.

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Kate was unpacking her clothes while Rick was off doing she didn't know what. He had only said, "Be right back," and had Jumped away. She trusted him enough to keep his promise to not Jump frivolously. He had to have a damn good reason to Jump. Their lives, their future together was at stake. It didn't mean she wasn't going to question him about where he went when he got back. She may trust him, but what she thought was important he might not. Did he think it was important enough and did she think it was important enough?

She didn't know why but she picked up one item and it suddenly gave her the strength to tell him. She was pretty sure and the test she had taken had only confirmed it. What she had to say was going to change them. She hoped he was ready for it. Hell, she hoped _SHE_ was ready for it.

Kate felt a quick rush of air telling her he was back. "Where did you go?"

"I went to check on Paladin again." Meaning he had gone to check on her mother and her hired goons.

"And?" His going to check on them was important so she didn't fight over his going.

When he didn't answer right away she turned to look at him and didn't like what she saw. Rick had bad news. "They're being rescued. I counted at least four boats in the area." It was news they just knew was coming, they just didn't want it to happen.

Kate threw her item back in her suitcase and felt Rick wrap his arms around her. "We need to watch our backs from now on."

When she was little she had always hoped that her mother would come back. Now she wished her mother would never come back. Only she and Rick knew about her mother. Kate didn't want to tell her dad. It was better to let him think that she'd left them and was never coming back.

"We just bought this place. It's a home we can grow in. I even have a job prospect." Kate had counted herself as lucky. They had met a few of their neighbors when she mentioned she was a lawyer. One of the couples they had met had questioned if she was part of a law firm or self-employed. Finding out that she was on her own, they had given her the name of a possible client.

"They don't know our new names and they have no reason to look here." It meant they had to be more careful. That organization would likely be watching their parents for the day they showed up.

Kate turned and tried to bury herself in his chest. "I'm pregnant." She whispered it so softly she was almost afraid even she hadn't heard it. But she could tell he had. Rick had gone stiff.

"Pregnant? Really, Kate?" He pushed her back a little so he could see her face.

"I'm late so I took a test. …It was positive. I'm pregnant." Kate couldn't imagine a worse time for them. The group would get back together and hunt them down. Now they had to protect someone else. She was also worried about what Rick would say and what he was thinking.

"Pregnant!" The sound of his voice had her looking up and she saw him smiling which had her smiling. She was relieved and felt a lot better.

"We have to find the closest doctor, hospital, set up the spare bedroom. One of us is going to need to learn how to cook. Maybe Veronica would teach us." Rick and Kate knew she was a good cook.

"My dad!" She had to tell her dad.

"I saw him today, too," Rick told her. He could Jump anywhere at a moment's notice after all.

Kate was all set to question why when suddenly he was down on one knee and holding one of her hands. _OH GOD! He's not, is he? Do I want him to? …Of course I want him to and I even know what the answer is._

She didn't give him the chance to ask her. "YES, YES, YES!" She got down on her knees so that she could kiss him.

He slid the ring on her finger. It looked simple enough and was absolutely perfect. She didn't want him spending their money on a ring. Spend it on the house, boats that they still needed to find, and get ready for the baby.

"What did my dad say?" She wanted to know why he'd gone and what her dad had said.

Rick just smiled. "He said yes when I asked him if I could marry you." Kate laughed into his lips while smiling. "He also told me one more thing." Rick had his own surprise.

"What?" What could her dad have told him? "RICK?" He was taking too long to tell her.

Rich shared his surprise. "He proposed to Veronica and she said yes. You're going to have a new mother."

"HE DID! That's wonderful!" Veronica obviously made her dad happy so that made her equally happy.

"I've got one more surprise. Your dad and Veronica suggested that we get married on the same day at the same place. We just have to work out when and where."

Kate began laughing and felt happy tears run down her face. She had a family and all she'd had to do was run into Rick at Stanford by accident.

"Dad can walk me down the aisle and you can walk Veronica down the aisle." It sounded perfect to her. "We'll work it out. Wait…she's not pregnant, is she?" Kate tilted her head while looking at him.

"No, he didn't mention it. It might be too late for both of them." Rick really didn't know.

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Rick had been trying his best to keep track of Kate's mother and the guy that had tried to kill him twice. She was back in Minnesota and he was in New York.

Rick Jumped home and found a note.

 _Babe,_

 _Gone to Lhaviyani Atoll to visit a client. Took the boat._

 _Luv you,_

 _K_

"Lhaviyani Atoll." Rick couldn't place it in his head so he went to his room and searched for a picture and then onto the laptop to look it up. "At least it has a hospital." Kate was eight months pregnant and she had been a pain in his ass lately.

She refused to listen to him. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid!" Kate had stormed off, mightily pissed off at him.

He shook his head. "Her hormones are going to be the death of me."

Kate definitely was not a happy person when pregnant. At first everything had been fine, then she started to get bigger. "My feet hurt, my back hurts, my breasts hurt. I practically live in the bathroom and nothing fits me anymore."

Rick tried to see a silver lining. Kate's desire for sex had actually increased and no matter how bad her day had gone, they still made love. He was doing everything he could to keep up with her. "She's definitely going to kill me." He hated complaining about the amount of sex especially after he had learned just how many orgasms he could give her without ever actually having intercourse.

He was happy for her, though. She had worked hard for the clients that she did have. Their location had been the cause for the boat they had gotten for her to use.

 _Pershing 50 ASD_

 _Two MAN V8 900 engines, Diesel, 900 HP, Cruising Speed of 36 kph, Maximum Speed of 43 kph, 2400 liters of fuel, fresh water tank of 500 liters, Three cabins, 2 bathrooms, cherry wood interior, Satellite TV._

Rick had argued for a larger boat but Kate had won. This boat was far easier for just her to maneuver and take her to her clients. "If your next book does just as well, Castle, we can get a larger boat if it will make you happy."

He'd celebrated his small victory by making love to her.

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Rick had just hung up the phone after talking with Jim. They were still working out all the details of their near simultaneous weddings. Together they had whittled the venue locations down to two and Jim was going to present those two to Veronica and Rick would show Kate. Flowers, invitations, music, food had mostly been decided on. Veronica already had her dress but Kate was going to wait until after the baby to go looking. "I'm not looking like a beached whale at my wedding."

Rick had wisely kept his mouth closed and let Kate's hormones voice themselves. If he agreed he was dead; if he disagreed he was dead. Knowing he couldn't win, he kept silent.

He hadn't gotten very far when the phone rang again. "Alexander." It was the name everyone else knew them by.

"Mr. Alexander, this is Lhaviyani Atoll Hospital. Your wife has been admitted and we need for you to come to the hospital as soon as you can," the woman on the phone told him.

"HOSPITAL! …What happened? Is she all right?" God, had her mother found her and tried to have her killed?

"Your wife has gone into labor. You should get here as soon as you can if you wish to attend the birth of your baby."

"BABY. …NOW? It's too soon, her due date isn't for another month at least." Now Rick was going into panic mode for a different reason.

"I'm sure your wife and baby will be fine. One month premature isn't unheard of. We will be keeping your wife for 24 hours after she gives birth. Your baby may have to stay a little longer," she warned.

"I'll be right there, thank you." Rick hung up and thought about Jumping straight there. But he'd promised and Kate would kill him, hormones or no. He decided to call Jim and tell him the news and then Jump to the boat. It should be a perfectly safe place to go to. From there he would find a way to get to the hospital.

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Kate was in tears as she held the baby to her chest and bent her head down to kiss the newborn's downy head. _A girl, they_ _'_ _d had a girl!_ And she was perfect. They had both decided to be surprised as to the sex of the baby. Now they knew.

Kate felt the love of a type and fierceness that she couldn't describe. Looking up at Rick all she saw was love and tears. His face was wet with them. She reached up to brush a few of the tears away.

"She's beautiful!" Rick had thought Kate was the most beautiful person in the world he had ever seen. At this very moment he was considering that he'd been wrong.

"Have you chosen a name?" one of the nurses asked them.

"Name…right." Rick looked down at Kate. They had talked and had decided on names for both a boy and a girl. Given how Kate had been acting late in her pregnancy, he left it to her to tell the nurse.

"Alexis Harper Alexander," Kate announced and knew that their lives would never be the same again.


End file.
